Superstar
by Wordsforwanderers
Summary: Clary and Jace met in Pandemonium the hottest club in New York City, on Clary's 19th birthday now after one fateful night, they are forced to deal with something that can, ruin Jace's career, and Clary's entire future. Will this big hiccup bring them together or push them farther apart? There may be some touchy subjects in this story and I don't mean to offend anyone!
1. The Beginning

**I don't own the names in this story, they all belong to Cassandra Clare who wrote the Mortal Instruments series. All I own is the plot line! **

**Thanks and don't forget to review!**

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She wasn't going to go and see him. She had absolutely no intention of letting him know, because she was going to take care of it before it could become a problem. But there is something inside of her, no pun intended, which forced her to end up at his house, outside the large metal gate. Taking a deep breath she pulled her car up to the intercom pressing the button that sounded a buzzer, making her jump.

They hadn't spoken in weeks, and to be quite honest she knew next to nothing about the kid, but this needed to be done. Her heart raced as she waited for something – anything- to happen. Sucking in a deep breath once more she reached her hand out of the car window to try again when a mono-tone voice rang through the speaker.

Retracting her hand back quickly all of her nerve was gone. She blinked a few times, shaking her head, it didn't sound like his voice; maybe she was at the wrong house?

"Hello? Is someone there?" The voice asked again. Then it clicked, why would he be the one to answer his own intercom? He must have someone to do it for him. Clearing her throat she held the button in and spoke, "I'm here to see J—Mr. Herondale."

"And what is your name?" The gruff voice asked with a hint of annoyance. "Um, Clarissa- Clary Morgenstern" She replied quietly cursing herself. Obviously her name wasn't going to be on any special list.

"I'm sorry but Mr. Herondale isn't excepting any visitors right now" The man replied, this probably happened a lot throughout the day, he probably thought she was just some crazy fan who wanted to be close to her favorite singer.

"Ok, but you don't understand, this is really important, if you could just tell him that I'm here?" At this point she was not beyond begging. She didn't come all this way for absolutely nothing.

"Tell him that I'm the girl-" She paused "The girl he hung out with at Pandemonium about a month ago."

"I'm sorry ma'am but-"

"Just tell him!" She yelled getting irritated.

There was no response for quite a while and she was about to reverse her car and go back to where she came from when the metal gates began to creak open, slowly, and loudly. "You may proceed through gate Ms. Morgenstern, sorry for your wait" The man's voice sounded irritated as ever, Clary figured he must be a sore loser.

Slowly driving through the gate Clary was amazed at what she saw. His house looked like an old manor from the Vampire movies her brother used to make her watch when they were kids. She got out of her beat up Camry and walked up the narrow path to the front porch.

There was a huge stone stair case leading up to the front door that had a shiny brass knocker dangling from it. In fact it was so shiny Clary could see herself, pale and shaking through the reflection.

She stood in front of the door for what felt like hours but turned out to only be ten minutes before she reached up knocking three times on the big wooden door, she could hear the echoes reverberating through the house.

After a minute or so, the door creaked open slowly, revealing an older man, not the boy she was looking for, in an all-black suit. _Of course.. the help_, she thought to herself.

"You are here for Mr. Herondale I am assuming" The man, whose voice was gruff, said as he eyed her curiously.

"Y-yeah, I'm Clary" She nodded smiling weakly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Mmm" the man hummed opening the door a little wider to allow her inside.

"You are lucky Jace just finished up his morning run when you rang in" The man said leading farther into the house. There were no picture on the walls, and if Clary didn't know any better she would guess that this house was vacant.

The house was so eloquently decorated though, it didn't seem like a young adult lived here, a middle aged women with a husband and five kids maybe, but not a twenty one year old guy.

There were beautiful arches on the ceiling and two sets of stairs that were on either side of the grand foyer that cascaded up and met in the middle. A large chandelier dangled from the ceiling, the lights sparkling off the crystals catching Clary's eye as she walked underneath it.

"This way, Ms. Morgenstern" The man said standing a few feet in front of her, patiently waiting for her to continue on following him.

Her cheeks flushed at how childish she was acting, gaping around at the house like she had never seen anything like it before, even if she hadn't. Her shabby college apartment was a cardboard box compared to this. But that's what money did for you.

"He is right through those doors" The man said motioning her to go on without him towards two large double doors, what was behind them Clary had no idea, but for some reason she was starting to regret coming here in the first place.

"Thanks" Clary muttered, slowly dragging her feet toward the doors pausing a second to look behind her, the man was there, watching her still, with the same curious look on his face as when he first answered the door.

Breathing in deeply Clary rapped her knuckled against the hard wood and took a step back from the door ringing her hands together in anticipation. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly silently praying he wouldn't answer even though she knew there was no going back.

"Well are you going to come in or just stand there?" A cocky voice joked; Clary could just hear the smirk that was playing on his lips.

Opening her eyes, she kept her gaze on the floor as she slowly crept into the spacious area. It was a balcony overlooking a large field that seemed to go on for miles. How did he get such a great view in the city?

"I must say, I never thought I'd see you again." An unlit cigarette hung loosely from his lips and he held a lighter up to the tip of it. Clary looked up to meet his gaze and their eyes connected for the first time, he was shirtless, of course he was shirtless, and now the memories came flooding back all at once.

"Do you have another one of those to lend me?" She asked motioning to the smoke, this was going to be difficult.

_It was Clary's nineteenth birthday and her best friend Simon decided that it would only be fitting to sneak her into the club to celebrate. _

_Jonathan protested it every step of the way, he bartended there on weekends and kept whining about "If I get caught I could lose my job" but somehow Clary and Simon persuaded him into it in the end. When it came to her brother, Clary usually got her way. Granted she couldn't buy alcohol for herself there, she was still stoked that she was in the cities hottest club and it was absolute madness. _

_The night went pretty much as planned, until Jonathon got a call from their father, something about some case that they were currently working on? Jonathon was their father's little lawyer in training, and in her father's eyes, absolute perfection. _

_"I am so sorry Clary" He apologized pulling her into a tight hug. "Happy birthday, I love you. Don't stay here too late, I don't want mom and dad finding out!" He yelled into her ear so she could hear him over the music. _

_Smiling Clary nodded it hurt that he was leaving but you cannot say no to Valentine Morgenstern. "Love you too" She yelled back with a small wave. _

_When Jonathan left Simon and Clary hit the dance floor. Simon tried his best at what he thought was dancing and Clary couldn't stop her laughter long enough to actually dance. _

_ Not even an hour later Simon was on the phone with his girlfriend Maia, who was crying because she "missed him". Yeah right, the only reason she ever called him crying was when he was with Clary because she was jealous._

_Clary and Simon had tried to date once, and by the end of the first week, they both decided that it was way too awkward for the both of them so they remained best friends instead. _

_ Rolling her eyes Clary walked to the bar and plopped down on a bar stool. _

_"One coke please" She ordered, knowing she shouldn't try and risk ordering anything close to alcoholic. The bartender, Meliorn, Clary thought his name was, gave her a curious look but didn't say anything._

_"Trying to sober up?" A smooth voice rang from beside her. _

_"I wish" She joked with a chuckle turning to face the stranger, her heart instantly dropped into my stomach. Jace Herondale. _Thee_ Jace Herondale, chart-topping super star, world touring, Jace Herondale was standing right in front of her; talking to her. _

_"Meliorn why don't you get this young lady a vodka and tonic, on me" He called out to the bartender. "Actually" Clary spoke up, "If you're going to buy me drink, I'm more of a beer kind of girl" She stated smiling at the bartender, who stopped what he was doing, rolling his eyes and poured whatever was on tap into a glass, setting it in front of Clary. _

_This shit did not happen to her, it doesn't happen in real life period. _

_Laughing Jace shook his head. "Most girls don't take my advances that well."_

_"Well when it comes to free alcohol, at this point in my night, I'll take what I can get" Clary played back with a slight wink._

_ Where the hell was this coming from? Clary thought to herself, she was not this outgoing, ever._

_ "I didn't catch your name." He stated arching an eyebrow and smirking slightly as he leaned against the bar._

_"That would be because I didn't tell you." She turned to face him more and held out her hand. "It's Clary" _

_"Jace" He replied taking her small hand in his. "Is Clary short for anything or.." His voice trailed off at the end and I picked up, _

_"Nope, just Clary" She replied dropping her arm into her lap. _

_"Well, just Clary, would you mind accompanying me back to the VIP area, it's not as noisy, and there is much better service." He asked, a hint of cockiness shone through in his tone of voice, and Clary thought it was extremely hot. _

_"I actually came here with my friend," She began, and looked around to see if I could find Simon anywhere, the look of almost disappointment appeared on his face. _

_"But" She picked back up again. "I seem to have lost him, so why the hell not" _

_ Jumping off the barstool she wiped her hands down her legs and smoothed her dress down slightly._

_"Follow me" He called from over his shoulder, and Clary did her best to not lose sight of him, because this was a for sure once in a life time thing and she was not missing out._

_ As they made their way to the back of the club Clary pinched herself to check and see if she was dreaming or not, because how the hell did this happen? Why the hell would Jace Herondale talk to her? Of all the slutty blonde girls in this club, he approached her? This shit didn't happen to regular people. Unless you're a teenage blogger who writes fan fiction in her spare time to make up for her lack of a social life. But this was real, how the hell was this real?_

_"Do you mind if I call my friend? Just to let him know I didn't get kidnapped or anything?" Clary laughed; she was getting considerably more nervous the more she took in the situation. _

_"Go right ahead" Jace smiled plopping down on a large sofa. _

_When she finally got a hold of Simon she decided not to tell him who she was with. She knew he wouldn't take it lightly and would want to be beside her ever second of the night. She told him it was one of the guys from a frat at her college and he shrugged it off like it was nothing. _

_ Of course though, he was going home to see Maia, like always. When we hung up Clary went back to the area that Jace had been sitting and he was surrounded by people who made her uncomfortable, for a little while at least, alcohol can really work wonders on your self-confidence._

_ Around 2 a.m. people were beginning to leave. "I probably shouldn't drive home" Clary said thinking out loud and digging in her small clutch bag to find her phone._

_"Don't worry about it, I can give you a ride" Jace offered a drunken smile splayed on his lips. God he was so hot. Clary thought, her face immediately igniting afterwards. _

_"Are you sure? My house is kind of out of the way." She squinted her eyes questioningly dropping her phone back into my clutch. _

_"Well then, you could always stay with me" He joked, but there was something serious in his voice that made her heart race. Spend the night with Jace Herondale? Or go home and never see him again? What the hell do you think she was going to choose?_

_So they went to his hotel, snuck in the back of course, no need for people to find him with a random girl, from a random club, for a random one night stand. Everything happened in slow motion and Clary remember it all, minus a few fuzzy details. She left early the next morning, and they never spoke after that._

_Four weeks after that night, she was late; and nauseas and _pregnant.

"So what are you doing here?" Jace asked pulling a cigarette from his pack and handing it to Clary.

He sauntered over to her handing over the cigarette and as she placed it to her lips, he held up his lighter to the tip, and she took a deep drag. Clary's thoughts bounced around her head. How are you supposed to tell someone something like this? She began to sweat nervously.

"Oh come on, spit it out."

Inhaling deeply the smoke entered her lungs and she held it in for a few seconds before methodically blowing it outward. "I wasn't going to come here" She started walking past him further onto the balcony, pacing back and forth in front of him.

"Well then why did you?" He asked turning around to follow her.

Wiping a hand across her face she felt like she wanted to cry, or vomit or both honestly.

"Seriously firecracker, I have things to do today, I don't usually let people up here so if you could make this-"

"I'm pregnant" Clary blurted out, turning away from him pressing the cigarette back up to her lips

"What?" He heard what she said, but the natural human response when you hear something you didn't want to hear is to pretend you didn't hear it right.

"You heard what I said" She responded hoarsely.

"Well is-is it mine?" Furrowing his eyebrows together, Clary spun around quickly her mouth agape and her eyes squinting in disbelief. "Why the hell do you think I'm here?" She snapped.

"No" He scoffed walking past me and jabbing his cigarette into an ashtray that sat on the railing. "There is no fucking way! We were together once."

"It only takes one time genius, and in case you can't remember, it was more than once." She reminded him, shuddering at the memory.

"There is no way that, you are pregnant." Clary figured he wouldn't believe her, if she was in his position she wouldn't believe herself either.

Reaching into her pocket she pulled out a folded up piece of paper. "Here asshole" She spat shoving it into his chest.

It was results from the doctor's office, She was pregnant. For sure.

"Well it isn't mine!" He growled backing away with his hands thrown in the air. "Who knows how many guys you've slept with besides me."

"Are you kidding me?" Clary yelled, that was a low blow, she was not a slut. "I am not a slut!" She retaliated.

"You sure came back to the hotel with me pretty damn easily." He shot back, venom and a little bit of truth dripping from his words.

"You got me drunk, you asshole!" She yelled back. "You think I want this?" She continued anger coursing through her body. "I don't want kids, ever, especially not now, and especially not with you!" Jabbing a finger into his chest.

"I came here because I thought you deserved to know, but I realize that, that was a huge mistake." Wrapping her arms around her waist, he stayed silent, she hated that he wasn't speaking. She needed him to say something.

"Fuck it." She breathed angrily. "Don't worry I'm not keeping it" She finally said just loud enough for him to catch as she shouldered past him.

"What?" He snapped turning and reaching for her forearm to pull her back around.

"I'm not keeping it! I'm not being_ that_ girl, I'm not." Swallowing the lump in her throat she willed myself not to cry.

"You don't believe me and that is fine, because as far as I'm concerned you're a douche bag anyway. But I am not being the girl who 'tried' to get money out of some big superstar by saying he was the father of her child." Ripping her arm out of his grasp, she looked at the ground and wiped a stray tear off her cheek with the back of her hand.

"I just thought that you should know" She repeated. "I'm sorry I bothered you, I'm sure you have somewhere else to be so I'll just be going." She muttered backing away from him.

"Wait" He growled. "Just - Wait" Running a nervous hand through his hair he breathed rigidly. "We can figure something out, we'll just have to-"

"No" Clary interjected. "No, there is nothing to figure out I am not keeping this child" She assured him her hands now secure on her hips.

"You can't just make that decision it's my child too" Jace scoffed snaking his arms across his chest.

"Really because two minutes ago you were saying it wasn't yours and that I was a slut" She snapped arching an eyebrow and clicking her tongue to the roof of her mouth.

"Could you stop being a bitch for like two seconds?" He grumbled, she fought of the thought of how hot he looked when he was frustrated, what the hell was wrong with her?.

"Just- we are going to figure this out"

"I told you-"

"We are going to figure this out!" His voice now agitated grew louder as he interrupted her protests.

"Now, go sit in the living room, I have a phone call to make" Clary followed the direction in which he was pointing as he grabbed the door and motioned her out.

"Hodge" Jace yelled out to the man that allowed Clary into the house. "Show Clary, here to the living room please" His voice didn't waver and his demeanor was cool, as if nothing had happened.

This was not supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to say we'll figure it out, Clary thought, as she followed Hodge through the large house. She didn't want this child.

She was about to turn down a hallway when she heard the echo of Jace's voice "Dude, we have a situation."


	2. The Beginning Part 2

*****I DO NOT OWN THE NAMES OF THESE CHARACTERS. ALL RIGHTS GO TO CASSANDRA CLARE AND THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS. THE ONLY THING I OWN IS THE PLOT LINE*****

_I will be writing from Jace's side a few times, to show you how he feels, but right now i'm just getting into the plot so it's really just Clary's POV. _

_This is my first fan fiction on here so I hope whoever is reading this is enjoying it. I will try and update as frequently as possible. _

_Right now it is rated T because of vulgar language that I use, but I may bump it up to M if i have to later (;_

_That's all for now,_

_Enoy!_

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Clary was sat in Jace's living room for about half an hour, just staring around at the walls. How did someone live like this? He was so…organized. Too organized.

Clary's apartment was full of stuff, pictures, clothes, dishes. This placed seemed like it had never been lived in.

After a while she heard him shuffling into the room slowly; luckily he decided to throw on a shirt.

"I just called my manager; he'll be over here in a little bit." He announced sitting across from Clary on the edge of a loveseat. Nodding her head Clary pursed my lips and stared at her hands, she really didn't want to be there. She wanted to be at home, crying and wallowing in self-pity.

"You know that I'm going to need a paternity test" He added, his gaze was hot on her and she tried her best not to look up. Rolling her eyes she leaned back into the couch that she was on and looked up at the ceiling.

"Why do you care" She growled low under her breath.

"Because, as much as you might think I am, I'm not a complete ass." He countered.

"You do get that I don't want this child" Clary once again reminded him.

"Of course you do" He shot back furrowing his eyebrows together.

"No I don't" He seemed so sure of himself that it honestly made Clary laugh. Who does he think he is telling her what she felt?

"Then why did you come here to tell me?" He challenged arching an eyebrow upward. "Why bother letting me know, why didn't you just take care of it?"

"Because _I'm_ not a complete heartless bitch" She shot back, now leaning forward.

Shaking his head Jace chuckled lightly"You came here because you knew I wouldn't let you abort our child"

Our child? No. This was not going to happen. Clary shook her head and dug her fingers into her thighs. "You do realize I didn't know that you wouldn't want me to get an abortion right? We don't know each other Jace, for all I knew you would have made the appointment for me yourself." She scoffed , how dare he sit there and act like she was the bad one here.

"Well it's not going to happen." He scoffed

"My uterus my decision," Clary muttered back childishly.

"Oh shut up, stop being a child!" Jace retaliated rolling his eyes.

"I can't raise a child Jace! I am in college!" She blurted out. "I don't even have money to support myself, how the hell am I going to support a child?" Do not cry Clary. I swear to god. She was repeating to herself in her head squeezing her eyes shut.

"Are you serious? I have plenty of money" His tone of voice was too light for the amount of stress that Clary was feeling.

"Absolutely not, I am not taking money from you; I told you I'm not being _that_ girl. Absolutely not" She repeated shaking her head vigorously.

"It wouldn't be for you" He scoffed as if what I was said was Ludacris. "It would be for… ya know" He motioned toward her. "If it's mine an all"

"It's yours" Clary muttered. They sat there staring at each other for a few minutes before the silence was finally broken from a loud bang coming from what Clary assumed was the front door. A few minutes later a disheveled looking man tore into the room. "Please tell me what you said on the phone was a joke, you did not get some girl pregnant!" The man growled with a pety laugh that made Clary's stomach turn.

"Ah, Michael, glad you could get here so quickly." Standing up Jace motioned for him to have a seat. "Have you met Clary?" He asked with a light chuckle. Looking from the light haired boy to Clary, Michael let out an exasperated sigh.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here" Although his tone of voice didn't seem very apologetic, Clary nodded in acceptance any way.

"Do you want some tea Michael? Maybe some pizza? I could order one real quick, there is this great little pizza place down town-"

"Cut the shit Jace, what the hell is going on?" Michael intervened clearly annoyed. Clary honestly couldn't blame him, Jace was acting as if this whole thing was a sick joke and that she was just going to jump up and say surprise, just kidding! Well the jokes on him, because this shit is real.

"Ok" Jace said slowly plopping back down on the loveseat across from Clary.

"This is Clary" He smiled motioning towards her.

"About a month back, me and Clary met in a club, had a little rendezvous afterwards, I mean who could blame me right? Look at that red hair" Jace joked, Clary could feel her cheeks begin to burn and she looked down at her lap embarrassed.

"and now she is here. Telling me she is pregnant with my child." He explained, quite coldly. _Way to make me sound like a money hungry slut._ Clary thought rolling her eyes.

"What have I told about sleeping with fans Jace?" Michael vented. "I told you this would happen"

"Can I just interject for a second?" Clary asked not even waiting for the answer because she was going to set this straight. "Yes, my name is Clary, and yes Jace and I met at a club. But he forgot a few minor details, like the fact that I did not just invite myself back to his hotel room, he invited me, and only after he got me drunk." She pursed her lips together and rolled her eyes.

"And I am not simply telling him that I am pregnant with his child, it is his child, contrary to both of your beliefs based off of one stupid mistake I made, I do not go around sleeping with random people. This is his child, whether he wants to own up to it or not, I couldn't care less."

Breathing in deeply she paused only long enough to pick back up where she left off. "And anyway, I already told him that I would take care of it, so this whole meeting doesn't even need to have happened"

Rolling her eyes Clary avoided eye contact with Jace because she knew he was starring daggers right into the side of her head, as she stared at Michael whose face didn't seem to change much.

"Ok so you'll take care of it" Michael nodded, but Clary didn't think he full understood what she meant. "But what happens when you want child support because you don't have enough money to raise the kid on your own"

"That isn't the kind of taking care of it that she meant" Jace spoke up, his voice almost in a low growl.

At first Michael looked confused, it only took a few seconds for the realization to sink in. "Oh" He said slowly looking between the two of us. "Have you two come to an agreement on that then?" He asked without hesitation, Clary could see him thinking all his worries were over.

"She isn't getting an abortion" Jace replied before Clary could open her mouth. "I don't care what has to happen; I am not killing an innocent child."

Touchy subject, very touchy subject, what the hell happened to the guy?

"What then what do you propose we do genius?" Clary asked staring at him challengingly.

"Ok so I was thinking.." He began sitting up straighter.

"Oh this ought to be good" Michael scoffed shifting his weight around as he continued to stand at the end of the couch Clary was seated on.

"I was just thinking that, no one has to know" He shrugged.

"So you want me to keep me a secret?" Clary asked making sure she understood what he meant.

"Yeah, no one has to know that I got you pregnant, or that we even know each other. I will help with the kid, and that will be that" Biting down on her tongue Clary inhaled sharply, closing her eyes before adding in her own two sense.

"Ok so what happened when people ask me who the father is? Do I just make that part up? Or say I don't know and risk looking like some whore? And you'll just pay for it and that is it? Did you miss the part about how I don't want to raise a child? Because I am pretty damn sure I made that clear to you just a few moments ago" He was not making this easy. Why the hell did she let herself get convinced that it was a good idea to come here?

"No" Michael spoke up sternly; Clary had almost forgot he was there because she was so pissed off at Jace.

"No, you are going to take responsibility for your actions Jace" Shaking his head he pulled out his phone and wrote something down or texted someone Clary wasn't quite sure.

"Well do you have another plan?" Jace asked.

"Oh yes, I do have a plan." Michael laughed but it wasn't a light hearted laugh, it was the kind of laugh you do when you are completely stressed out.

"Care to enlighten us?" Jace asked again. Clary sat up straighter and leaned in to hear what Michael had to say. "I sure hope you're a good actress sweet heart, because you two are going to be putting on quite a show" He smiled menacingly.

Clary wasn't a good actress, in fact in the seventh grade she was forced to take part in a school play where she had to play a munchkin in the Wizard of OZ and she threw up on Dorothy's ruby slippers. She was not good in high pressure situations.

"What the hell do you have planned Michael?" Jace groaned falling back into the love seat.

**XXXXXX**

Michael had left the room, or maybe even the house, there was no telling with how huge this place was, about an hour ago. Clary assumed he was calling all the connections he had on Jace's manager staff to try and figure out a solution to this colossal problem. Clary and Jace didn't talk at all while he was gone. And if he did try and talk to her, she played it off like she didn't hear him even though it was quite obvious that she had.

Finally the sound of the front door slamming shut once again filled the living room Clary's heart race with anticipation.

"Look who decided to finally rejoin us" Jace joked pointedly turning down the volume of the TV. "What's the big plan?" He added cocking an eyebrow and smirking as if he was challenging Michael.

"You two are going to be in love" Steve blurted out clapping his hands together in front of him and stopping in front of us blocking my view of the television.

"What?" Clary and Jace both gasped in unison looking at each other and then back at Michael.

"The only way we are going to be able to keep it under wraps that Jace had a drunken one night stand with a random girl and now is about to have a baby, is to pretend you two have been secretly seeing each other for quite some time now." He shrugged.

"No" Clary said shaking her head and standing up from the couch she was seated on. "No" She repeated, no other words could come to her mind. "I can't do that. I refuse to be in love with him."

"Damn Little Red, I'm not that bad" Jace chuckled his making Clary's stomach turn. "Clary, if you keep that baby you are going to have to work with me here" Michael's voice became lighter, and his face softened.

"If it makes this any better we are willing to pay you" Was she a damn prostitute now? Do not cry Clary. She repeated over and over to herself until she felt the tears pricking at the edges of her eyes. Damn hormones.

Turning away from the two men she wiped the sleeve of her t-shirt against her cheek and stared out the window that was the only source of light at the moment.

"How the hell are we going to get people to believe we are in love?" Jace asked he didn't want this just as much Clary. This meant he could no longer have careless sex with random girls. This meant he couldn't have sex at all because Clary sure as hell was not giving it to him. Well not again at least.

"You're a performer Jace, you'll figure it out" Michael's words were very pointed and Clary could sense a smirk on his face even though she was still turned away.

"It's not going to work" Clary grumbled under her breath.

"It's going to have to" Michael finally said. No one said anything after that.

XXXXXX

This was happening. Clary had to pretend to be Jace Herondale's girlfriend. Any girl would kill for this. Every teenage blogger would literally murder someone for this opportunity and she hated every second of it. It's a lot different to dream of something, than to actually live it. Had you asked her a year ago if she would hate this situation she probably would have said no.

But right now she was pregnant with a baby she didn't want, with a guy she didn't know, famous or not, she was not in love with Jace. She despised him and everything about him. This was going to be the hardest thing she had ever done.

"Don't be nervous" She heard from behind her, snapping her out of the trance she was in as she stared out of the living room window.

"They aren't going to believe it" She breathed not looking at him.

He walked up beside her and shoved his hands in his pants pockets. "You never know" His shoulders shrugged and lightly bumped into Clary's. "Everyone loves a good love story." She could hear the smirk on his face through his words. "This isn't a love story" She reminded him coldly.

"Ouch" He muttered under his breath making her roll her eyes in response. "It's going to seem suspicious. I don't see why we can't just tell the truth" She looked at him; She shouldn't have looked at him. He was smiling now, and the way the sun was shining illuminated his amazingly golden eyes and his golden blonde hair that was messily curled about his head, but still looked perfect.

He just laughed and shook his head. Clary didn't think the questioned she asked was all that funny.

"This whole business is built on lies babe. You think I got here by telling the truth?"

"Wow that really makes me want to trust you now" She wasn't even trying to hide my anger at this point.

"Everything will work out" He shrugged and just scoffed.

"Was that a lie?" Clary inquired looking at him out of the corner of my eye long enough to see he was looking at me too.

"We'll just have to wait and see won't we?"

God dammit he had a nice smile.


	3. The Date

****I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE NAMES IN THIS SERIES, THEY ALL BELONG TO CASSANDRA CLARE AND THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS BOOKS, I JUST OWN THE PLOT****

So i got some really nice reviews on my last two chapters about this series and thought that you all deserved another one!

I feel like these are really short, but I don't want a whole lot happening in just one chapter because I have a lot planned but it needs to be spaced out.

Now that I know people are reading my story I don't want to disappoint any one. So I hope you like this chapter!

OH! and before I go I just wanted to add that there are a few surprises here and there along the way but for the most part this story is basically just Clary and Jace's journey through this little problem that they have encountered. So now that I am done rambling...ENJOY! (:

* * *

Clary woke up in an unfamiliar, darkly lit room. It took her a few seconds to remember what events had occurred previously that day.

After listening to Michael lecture, on and on about how careless they had been, Clary just wanted to take a nap to get rid of the sickness in her stomach, so Jace had Hodge show her a guest room, which was just as depersonalized as the rest of the house. After a few minutes of tossing and turning on the stiff mattress, Clary could hear the rain start pound down on the roof, lulling her to sleep.

And now she was awake, unsure of exactly how long she'd been asleep, but it was getting dark out, and the rain had stopped. She felt a growing pain in her stomach that she brushed of as her just being hungry since she hadn't eaten that day, and tossed the thin comforter off her body. Kicking her legs over the edge of the bed she stood up flattening her hands down her shirt, and dragged her feet across the carpet to a vanity that was placed across the room.

If she knew what she looked like, she would have skipped looking at her appearance. Her eyes were red and puffy, what little make up she did have on, was smeared, making her look like a raccoon. Her hair, that she had taken the time to tame before she came here was now it's usual, ruthless, curly self again.

Groaning to herself she threw her hair up in a messy bun and used her sleeves to wipe off the smeared makeup as best as she could. The pain in her stomach was getting worse and she cursed softly under breath pressing her palm into the flesh just under her ribs where the pain was radiating.

A lump started to swell in her throat and her head became light. With a gasp she briskly walked towards the door her hand covering her mouth ever so lightly as she looked left and right down the long stretched hallway. She had no idea where a bathroom was but she needed to find one quick.

Choosing to go left since that is the way she came from, she thought, Clary pushed open three doors until she finally found a bathroom. Why did Jace need this many rooms? She could swear he was trying to inhabit a small village in this house.

Falling to her knees Clary lifted the toilet seat, and gripped the sides of the porcelain bowl, just as her body began to convulse. Nothing was coming up because she hadn't eaten, and with every dry heave another shot of pain ripped through her body. When it was all over, tears slipped down her cheeks, and she sat back against the wall pulling her knees into her chest.

This was going to be a long nine months.

XXXXXX

"So" Michael spoke up, his voice booming through the living room pulling Jace away from each his thoughts reluctantly.

"I just got off the phone with management and they have set up a date for the two of you."

"What do you mean set up a date?" Jace asked crossing his arms leaning back into the couch, as Michael sat down stiffly beside him.

"I mean, that the two of you are going to a certain place at a certain time so you can get 'accidentally'," he air quoted with his fingers, "caught on a date, because the two of you have been hiding your 'relationship'," Again with the air quotes, "a secret from the media."

"That shit isn't going to work" Jace scoffed shaking his head. "People know that I've been out with other girls, it's all over the tabloids."

"Well you're going to have to make it work." Michael growled he was not backing down from this plan, and Jace knew there was no arguing to it. "She won't agree to it" Jace shrugged his arms slack against his chest.

"Then persuade her, tell her you'll pay her off, make her fall for you. I don't care" Michael said with a sarcastic laugh. "This is the only way to keep all of this hushed up. And for you to stay loved by millions of people"

Jace stayed silent, his mind racing. Clary hated him, and honestly he didn't blame her, he kind hated himself at this point. All of this was too much for one day, he just wanted to drown his sorrows in some Captain Morgan and fall asleep watching the Soccer matches that he'd recorded.

"We'll talk more about this tomorrow morning." With a sigh Michael slapped a hand against Jace's thigh. "Just get some rest tonight Jace." Standing up from the sofa he left the room quietly leaving Jace alone with his thoughts.

"Mr. Herondale" Hodge spoke up seconds after Michael left. "Hodge I told you, just call me Jace" Jace breathed scrubbing a hand over his face. "Sorry Mr. Her—I mean Jace" Hodge corrected when Jace shot him an annoyed look. "Ms. Morgenstern is awake"

"Oh—uh yeah, I forgot she was still here" Jace muttered standing up from the couch. "Where is she?" He asked furrowing his eyebrows together. "The kitchen, she said she was hungry so I had Harriett cook something up for her.

"Thanks" Jace nodded, running his hands up and down the sides of his legs nervously. He slowly walked from the living room, across the grand foyer, through a small hallway and finally entered the kitchen.

Clary was sitting, at the island that was in the middle of the kitchen, with her back to him; Harriett was humming lowly as she stood in front of the sink, her arms fully submerged in soapy water. "Oh Hello there Jace" Harriett smiled a cheeky grin. "I was just telling Ms. Clary here that you would be coming soon enough, can't ever resist the smell of my apple pie" She teased, earning a small smile from Jace.

"Did you sleep alright?" He asked noticing how Clary stiffened up, when Harriett said his name. Clary just shrugged, pushing the left over pie crust around her plate, as Jace crossed the room and walked around the island so he was facing her. "Do you want more? I can get you some if you want…" Jace offered leaning his elbows against the marble counter top.

"No." Clary said without looking up, sucking in her bottom lip.

This was awkward, Jace didn't have any idea what he should say, he was usually so smooth with girls, but this was different. This girl wasn't looking for a random hookup, or a causal fling. That had already happened and didn't turn out so well.

"It's-uh-getting pretty late" Jace stammered standing up straighter, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.

"You can stay here if you want. I mean it will just be me and you here" Jace smiled shooting her a playful wink. He could see her cheeks growing redder than they were before he spoke and a satisfied grin splayed on his lips.

"I don't really have a change of clothes…" Clary said sheepishly. "And I already booked into a hotel a few blocks away so...I should probably get going."

"Ya no problem little red" Jace chuckled, brushing off the rejection. "Do you need Hodge to show you the way out or…" His sentence trailed off at the end and he eyed Clary curiously.

"Um, no" She looked a little offended at how abrupt he was about her leaving so suddenly. "I can show myself out." She said with an eye roll. Jace was becoming accustomed to those, in the little amount of time that they had talked today. Clary stood up quickly, spinning on her heel and exiting the room in a hurry.

"Tsk tsk tsk" Jace heard Harriett sound from the sink across the room. "What?" He asked holding his arms out in front of him and dropping them to his sides, chuckling softly.

"That is not how you treat a lady." Harriett scolded playfully with a laugh. "If your mother were here-"

"Well she isn't" Jace interjected, all the lightness in the room sucked out with just one word. His chest filled with a dull ache that only ever happened at the mention of his mother. He did not want to talk about her, or think about her for that matter. "I'm sorry Jace…I-"

"It's fine Harriett" He breathed shaking his head and walking towards the kitchen exit. "I'm not that hungry tonight, I'm just going to go to my room" He grumbled, ignoring Harriett's protests that he should at least take up a sandwich.

Wandering down the dark hallway Jace pushed through his door and into his room. It was just the way he liked it. Spotless…memory-less. Grabbing the collar of his shirt he pulled it over his head and tossed it into the hamper that was just inside his door. He shimmied out of his jeans and pulled on some old basketball shorts, falling back onto his bed, and letting out a deep moan as he sunk into his mattress.

What had he gotten himself into? Everything was about to change. He had to find a way to convince Clary to do this with him, _Then persuade her, tell her you'll pay her off, make her fall for you. I don't care _Michael's words reverberated in his head as he closed his eyes ready to fall asleep.

**XXXXXX**

It had been a week since Clary told Jace about the pregnancy and it was now the day Michael had decided for their "date". Michael said that he would cover the cost of Clary's hotel room, but that she was always welcome to stay at Jace's if she needed too.

She didn't know what was going to happen on this "date" , or where Jace was taking her, all she knew was that she had to be outside her apartment by no later than 12:30.

Jace's management staff had also taken it upon themselves to tell Clary what to wear, how to do her hair, her makeup, her nails, and what kind of purse to carry. It was all way too much to handle, they mapped out every part of her day, she was surprised they didn't give her designated times to use the restroom.

At noon Clary got a text from Jace reminding her to be on time. Rolling her eyes she threw her phone onto the bed and held the dress that was picked out for her, against her body, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

She felt bloated, the way you feel right before you get your period, but she knew that wasn't why. And even though it wasn't noticeable to anyone, she could feel her stomach stretching and her clothes were beginning to feel too tight, whether it was in her head or not, she still hated it.

Slipping into the navy blue dress, she synched it up so it came in just above her stomach and threw on a white cardigan over top. Her fiery red hair was in a side braid that cascaded down, just reaching the bottom of her rib cage. With her make-up done and just a few minutes to spare she made her way down stairs to meet Jace.

It took a little while for Clary to be able to spot Jace's all black SUV that was parked by the curb in line with an array of others. Puffing out her cheeks she slipped into the passenger seat letting out a meager. "Hey"

"Hey" Jace replied gruffly.

Not a word was spoken after that. Many times during the past week, Clary found herself wondering why she was even in this predicament. If Jace would just listen to her, and let her do what she wants to do, then they both would be fine. He was the one who was being difficult, and she felt like he was treating her like it was all her fault. When they reached the restaurant Clary was relieved to find out that it was just a simple Italian restaurant, nothing too fancy.

The two of them were seated outside, the perfect opportunity for the paparazzi to catch them together, Clary thought.

"What can I get you?" The waitress, Kaelie is what her name tag said, asked, her gaze lingering on Jace, and a fluid smile spread on her face. "I'll have the Fettuccini Alfredo, topped with the garlic chicken and a side salad please." Jace ordered handing the her his menu and returning the smile.

"Um.." Clary spoke up but Kaelie's gaze didn't waver from Jace, even when he looked away. "I'll just have the chicken finger basket" Clary said a little louder snapping the waitress out of her trance. Clary slid the menu to her on the table and rolled her eyes.

When the waitress walked away Jace scoffed under his breath and leaned back in his chair, his arms snaked across his chest. "What?" Clary asked furrowing her eyebrows together as Jace looked at her accusingly. "Chicken fingers? Seriously? You ordered Chicken fingers" Jace huffed shaking his head.

"What is wrong with that?" Clary wondered arching an eyebrow. "Nothing is wrong with it, if you're twelve and out to eat with your parents," Jace shot back. Clary was losing her patience with this boy. He was constantly making sarcastic remarks that made her feel like a child.

"Well my mom and dad never took me out to eat so this must be my way of making up for lost time" Clary shot back, not holding back any animosity. She wasn't even hungry, the familiar pain in her stomach had returned, and she knew it was just a matter of time before she was crouched in front of the bathroom toilet spilling out the contents of her stomach.

She heard Jace chuckle when she adverted her gaze from his, and she began to swirl her straw around her glass of ice water, trying desperately to not think about the pain that was now rising to her chest.

**XXXXXX**

"So" Jace said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. He knew that if they were going to convincingly fake this relationship they had to talk. "What are you majoring in, at school?" He asked taking a large gulp from his drink.

Clary looked a little surprised that he was asking her and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why do you care?" She asked that was paired with, you guessed it, an eye roll.

"If we are going to do this Clary," He paused breathing in deeply. "We are going to have to get to know each other." She looked reluctant but eventually gave in, which made Jace feel satisfied inside.

"I _was_ going for law" Clary answered with a small one shoulder shrug. Jace noticed the way she emphasized the word _was. _

"You _were_?" Jace inquired. "Did you drop out little red?" He joked quirking an eyebrow, sticking his tongue against his teeth in a playful manner.

Clary didn't laugh at all though. She seemed to shrink away in her seat actually.

"No." She cleared her throat and then sat up straighter. "But when my parents find out about this.." She stopped motioning towards her stomach. "They will definitely pull the plug on my tuition, and working part time at the Piggly Wiggly isn't going to get me through Law School." She huffed, her words came out so sharp Jace could feel them hit him like ice in his chest.

He wanted to say something, anything that would ease the tension. So he just said the first thing that came to his mind. "I like the color red." He blurted out, earning a suspicious look from Clary. Furrowing her brows together a small chuckle fell from her lips. "What?"

"Some of those stupid teen magazines say that it's blue, because apparently I wear it a lot? But it is in fact red." He nodded reassuringly and smiled.

He didn't know if she was going to say anything back, and just when it looked like she might, their food had come from the kitchen. The waitress that was basically undressing him with her eyes from before leaned forward a little too closely, when she set his plate down, and Jace could smell her perfume. Clary was staring down at her lap no doubt waiting for this moment to be over.

"Do you need a refill?" Kaelie asked a wide smile on her lips. "Um sure." Flicking his gaze back over to Clary she hadn't moved since he last looked.

"Babe do you need one too?" He asked making Clary's head snap up quickly, she looked at him with complete shock on her face.

"Uh..I..um…sure." She stammered which made Jace smile to himself. "So I'll have another Coke and she'll have another raspberry iced tea." Jace confirmed with a nod. Kaelie seemed to have picked up on the subtle 'babe' drop as well because the smile had fallen from her lips and she left without another word.

"I like don't have a favorite color." Clary sighed as she picked apart a chicken tender. "In art you kind of learn the beauty of all the different colors and shades, and I think it would be unfair to pick just one."

"So you're an artist?" Jace asked with a small smirk. He was picturing Clary seated in front of a canvas methodically stroking a brush across the blank surface, creating something beautiful.

"I wouldn't go that far," Clary let out a throaty laugh. "I like art." She corrected him.

"I'd love to see your work sometime." Jace teased smiling at how easily she seemed to blush. Her cheeks turned a deep crimson when she got embarrassed or nervous, which seemed to happen quite a bit.

Laughing Clary shook her head. When the silence enveloped them again, it wasn't as awkward as before. The tension was no longer there and they were able to banter back and forth about the most random things. Jace learned that Clary was more of a cat person, because of an incident that happened when she was in middle school, and that she had an older brother.

Jace admitted that his favorite movie may or may not be Mean Girls, and that he didn't like ducks, because let's face it they are vicious animals. That fact had Clary laughing so hard she almost choked on her drink. She had a nice laugh, it was genuine and not forced, like most peoples were when Jace said something funny.

**XXXXXX**

Clary could say that she was having a good time with Jace. Sometimes she even would forget that this whole date was just a set up because she was pregnant, and then once the realization came back she would feel herself fall back into the dark pit of self-pity.

When Jace paid the waitress, who wasn't the same girl that took our orders, she must have been too upset after Jace called Clary babe to come back, the two of them walked out the front doors of the restaurant.

Clary did not even know what happened next. A swarm of photographers ganged up around them shouting questions and asking for her name. Flashes were going off everywhere around Clary and she felt self-conscious all of a sudden.

She felt Jace's arm wrap around her pulling her closer against his body as he pushed pashed the money hungry paps. He was yelling sarcastic remarks over his shoulder to them. And making light conversation with a few others as him and Clary inched closer to his car. When they reached the all black SUV he held the door open for Clary so she could slide in without being harassed.

"Shit" she muttered when Jace climbed into the driver's seat. "Yeah, that actually wasn't the worst of it." Jace replied blandly. As if he didn't love all that attention. The boy practically basked in it.

"I mean, a warning would have been nice." Clary grumbled tucking a few strands of hair that fell out of her braid behind her ear.

"Right, because I knew that was going to happen" Jace scoffed, carefully pulling away from the curb.

"I mean, you're the one who's famous, doesn't that happen, like every time you leave your house?" Jace didn't reply and Clary knew it was because she was right.

"Well now you know" He finally grumbled.

"Yeah thanks," Clary spat back. All the progress, all the niceness that they had built up at the restaurant was gone in a matter of seconds.

The car ride back to Clary's hotel was just as stiff and quiet as the one to the restaurant. And Clary wanted to just apologize for freaking out him and get it over with, but of course she was a child and refused to be the first to speak. When Jace pulled up to the curb Clary heard him suck in sharply like he was going to say something. But he never did. Just as she was about to turn to get out, she felt his hand wrap around her arm lightly, pulling her back to face him.

His other hand came up to cup the side of her face and right when she was about to ask what he was doing, she felt his lips pressed warmly against hers. Her whole body began to melt and after the initial shock wore off she kissed him back.

When he pulled away, Clary took a second to open up her eyes again. "W-what..why?" She stuttered her cheeks burning from embarrassment. Jace didn't say anything he simply pointed in the rearview mirror, where Clary could just make out the sillouette of someone taking pictures of them from across the street.

"Oh right" Clary breathed moving farther away from Jace. "The plan" she muttered under her breath. "I'll see you tomorrow." Jace said with a small hand wave as he took the car out of park and waited for her to get out. "Yeah" was all Clary said as she hopped out of the large vehicle, slamming the door closed behind her.

When she got out of the vehicle it was madness all over again, except this time Clary was kind of pissed, she didn't know why. Or rather she did know why, but she hated the reason. So when the photographers began to yell for her she ignored them, shouldering past a few people who shot her glowering looks.

She wished Simon was here with her. She had no one to talk to, and no one to cry to since she'd found out she was pregnant. Simon was the one who took her to the hospital when the doctors confirmed it, but she never told him who the father was, she knew he would be pissed if he found out.

Once this story got out though, he was probably going to put two-and-two together, and it was just a matter of time before others started questioning her about it, which meant that the two people she dreaded telling the most were going to find out,** her parents.**


	4. Secrets

****I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE NAMES IN THIS SERIES! ALL CREDIT GOES TO CASSANDRA CLARE AND THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES! I ONLY OWN THE PLOT****

Whoa, there are a lot of you reading my story! I seriously did not expect this much amazing feedback!

I must say that it makes me nervous about completely flopping, or falling into a cliche but i am going to try my hardest to make this story enjoyable for you all to read!

One thing i wanted to touch on before you start reading is that someone said in a review on my last chapter that this series reminded them of another series on here called _"9 consequences of one night and a door_" and i wanted to say that...

yes i have read that story but i had the idea for this story way before that.

When i originally wrote this story out it wasn't with Clary and Jace's name, i just decided to do that the day i posted the first chapter. I hope that it doesn't seem like i'm copying that author because i honestly do not want to do that!

But thank you all for the amazing reviews! I love every single one i receive!

Ok, now you can read...Enjoy! (:

* * *

Eight days. That's all it took for the news of Jace and Clary's new "relationship" to become top news in the tabloids. Every day since the first date, the two of them were put into another scenario that they had to bite their tongues and deal with.

The first few days it was simple lunch and dinner dates, but then they had to start doing things that in Clary's mind were just down right ridiculous, like going to the super market together, and making sure Clary got "caught" leaving Jace's house late at night. This whole thing was becoming a hassle and a burden and Clary just wanted to give up and call it off. But Jace was extremely persuasive when he wanted to be.

Even though they had spent every day together since the first date, Jace hadn't kissed her again like he did that day. He hadn't even come close to it, which made Clary feel a little confused. Did he think she was gross? Was she that bad of a kisser? Was this really such a struggle for him? But when those thoughts would creep inside her mind Clary would immediately shut them out. She didn't need to think of him that way, because she did not like him that way.

Clary woke up with startled by the sound of her ringtone going off, again. It had gone off at least fourteen other times, but each time she just hit ignore. She didn't feel like talking to anyone, especially the people who were calling. Sitting up slightly she rubbed the palms of her hands against her eyes and blinked a few times before she remembered that she wasn't back in her hotel room. Last night Jace had asked her if she wanted to just stay with him for the remainder of the time they would be in this situation. Well, in more words of less.

_Clary was sprawled out on the couch flipping through the channels while Jace was off doing whatever it is that Jace did when he was alone. Working out, writing a hit song, looking up pictures of other girls on the internet, Clary didn't know and quite frankly didn't care at that point in the day. They had been walking around Central Park for what felt like days, and her feet and back hurt and she just wanted to sleep and never wake up again._

_ She let out a loud yawn and shifted her weight slightly on the couch when she heard a deep chuckle come from the doorway. "Tired?" Jace asked with a smile plopping down in the recliner that was next to the chair. "Guess so" Clary replied her eyes not leaving the TV once, no matter how badly they wanted to. _

_ "You can just stay here if you want.." That got her attention. Jace shrugged and Clary eyed him curiously, he usually never offered for her to stay, it was usually _"Hodge can drive you back to your hotel if you want"

_ "Um, I don't really have any clothes.." Clary said, the shock of Jace's statement definitely showing in her tone of voice. "I had Harriett pick up some girly stuff today at the mall, ya know….just in case" That was all he said. _

_Just in case? In case what? In case Clary wanted to stay? Or any other girl? Was he just preparing himself better for one night stands? Clary wanted to ask but she just nodded. _

_"I mean I guess I could stay tonight." She shifted awkwardly on the couch and was sitting up, her legs still laid out in front of her, her eyes studying Jace as he continued to avoid eye contact. _

_"Yeah…tonight." Jace said with a nod and a one shoulder shrug. "Or you could just stay here. You know so we aren't wasting money on that hotel anymore. It's not really necessary, we have rooms here. Michael has really been on my ass about cutting down my spending" He added cooly, as if he wasn't asking Clary to practically move in with him. _

_She didn't reply right away she just stared at him, her mouth slightly agape, until he finally turned to look at her. No expression was displayed on his face at all. She opened her mouth to speak but her tongue felt dry. "Um…y-yeah. I guess th-that, that makes sense" She stammered out nodding her head vigorously. "Cool" Jace said, one corner of his mouth lifting up slightly before he turned back to focus on the TV. _

When her phone went off again signaling that she got yet, another text message Clary slid it off her nightstand with a groan. Situating herself so she was sitting up against the headboard of her bed, her eyes scanned over her phone to assess the damage.

3 missed calls from her Mother

1 missed call from her Father's work, _probably just his secretary_ Clary thought to herself rolling her eyes.

3 missed calls and 2 texts from her brother

And finally…

5 missed calls and 7 texts from Simone.

Dropping her phone into her lap she let out a heavy sigh, no need to read the messages she knew what they were about any. Glancing at her phone one last time she looked at the time, it was only eleven a.m.

She didn't want to get up at all that day, but she knew that Jace would have something planned, god forbid they ever just stay out of the public eye for one day, he might lose some of his publicity. Right when she was about to drag herself out of bed to go to the bathroom, her phone began to ring. It was Simon.

Breathing in deeply she weighed her options quickly. She had to answer. He was her best friend and deserved some answers, even if she wasn't exactly supposed to give them out. Shutting her eyes for a few seconds she absentmindedly slid her finger across her phone answering the call, and pressed it to her ear.

"Hey, Si" She said weakly pursing her lips together in preparation for what was about to come.

"H-Hey Si? That—that's how you choose to greet me right now? Seriously Clary what the-" He paused and Clary could tell he was trying to collect himself over at the other end of line and it made her miss him that much more.

"I'm sorry" Was all she said, her voice sounding very small as she leaned back against the head board tilting her head to look at the ceiling.

"Where are you?" Was all he replied. Clary's eyes searched around the room, as if she was searching for some type of bug or secret device that would allow Jace's management staff to spy on her but she quickly realized she was being stupid. She could tell Simon where she was, he was her best friend, he deserved to know.

"I'm about a half an hour outside of the city." She replied vaguely, knowing that Simon was going to demand more information.

"We have to talk Clary" He said his voice never wavering, Clary hated when he was serious, she didn't want serious right now, she needed Simon. _Her_ Simon. The one that could make her laugh when she was in the middle of an emotional breakdown, and bought her ice cream and reeses cups because that is her favorite food when she gets upset, and mostly importantly she wanted the Simon that didn't want to talk about serious things.

"If you don't tell me where you are Clary I'm going to call your brother." Simon said finally after a few moments of silence.

"Simon" Clary whined, kicking her feet even though she knew this motion was pointless, he couldn't see her acting like a child. "Claris-"

"Fine!" She interjected before he had time to use her full name. "Fine we can meet somewhere and talk." She breathed pinching the bridge of her nose between her forefinger and her thumb.

"Good" He said, Clary could tell he was smiling and she hated how easily she caved in. "I'll meet you at Taki's around three today." She sighed playing with a frayed piece of blanket.

"You better not stand me up Morgenstern" Simon teased, his tone of voice finally lightening up a little, even though Clary thought it sounded forced.

"Wouldn't dream of it Lewis" She replied a small smirk playing on her lips as she said her final goodbyes to her friend.

Throwing her phone off to the other side of the bed Clary slid down the headboard until she was laying fully on her back. She didn't know how she was going to get past Jace and his military-like security he had around his house, but she couldn't just leave Simon in the dark. She was going into the city whether Jace liked it or not. And that was final. She closed her eyes hoping to get just a little bit more sleep before her phone started again. "Ugh" She groaned, today was going to suck.

**XXXXXX**

Jace was up early that morning, anticipating the media attention he would be receiving after the story of him and Clary got out. And immediately he began his workout regimen for the day. It was the only thing that could get his mind off of what was going on around him.

He got a text from Michael at quarter after nine to inform him that he and Clary were featured on TMZ that morning and to remind him that he had to be at the studio at noon. Usually Jace would have loved the attention he was receiving. The more his name was mentioned in tabloids and news networks, the more money he got, and that was nothing to complain about.

But this time the attention didn't have the same effect on Jace. He was getting attention for a fake relationship that his management staff had set up. And unlike the last one that had been set up for him, Clary wasn't a European model, looking to get her start in New York City, and he couldn't just forget about her once their allotted time was up.

She was pregnant. A concept Jace was having a very hard time wrapping his head around. He tried so hard to forget about it the first week that they were "together" but every time he looked at her he could see the sadness radiating from her eyes…her face… her entire body.. She was carrying his child. He was going to be a father. Letting out a growl he stepped off the treadmill and pulled his ear buds out of his ears. Working out clearly wasn't helping anything, especially not now that him and Clary were going to be staying under the same roof.

Toweling off his face, Jace took a long swig from his water bottle and pushed his way out of the door from his home-gym. There were voices coming from the kitchen, he wasn't used to other people being in his house when he got up in the morning. Even when his family would stay they would sleep in until at least eleven thirty.

As he got closer he recognized the voice immediately. Clary. Of course it was her; she was the only one there, other than Hodge and Harriett. He stopped just outside the kitchen doorway and listened.

"Nasty thing that morning sickness," Harriett said her head shaking, the tight bun on top of her head moving ever so slightly. "I wouldn't know myself; never had children. But my sister has birthed about half a village and she is always complaining to me over the phone" She teased shooting a soft smile at Clary who was seated at the island again.

"I'm alright, honestly" She said shyly with a nervous laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Oh nonsense, you need some food in your stomach, now that you're eating for two" Harriett's voice came out cheerfully, which made Jace's insides turn. One look at Clary's face told him that she was uncomfortable and just looking for a reason to get out of there.

Clearing his throat Jace stepped into the kitchen, the towel he wiped his face with hung over his shoulder, he forgot he was just in his gym shorts and sneakers. "Morning." He said breaking the silence that had fallen.

"Nice to see you're awake before noon" Harriett teased as she stood in front of the stove stirring something that smelled delicious in a skillet. "I have to be at the studio at noon" Jace informed her, turning to face Clary. For a second Jace could have sworn a look of relief washed over her face but it was gone before he could tell for sure.

"Oh, how long will that take?" She quirked an eyebrow at him and her bottom lip sucked into her mouth slightly.

"I probably won't be back until around six" He said with a shrug, drumming his fingers anxiously against the marble counter top. "Why, do you need to go somewhere?" He asked narrowing his eyes, it seemed as if she was going through a list in her head and it made Jace extremely curious.

"Um, I…I think I might go to my, uh, apartment…to…grab some stuff. That I don't..have here. Yeah. I might do that." Clary stammered, making Jace a little wary.

"I could have Michael send someone for you if—"

"No!" Clary interjected a little too quickly, but Jace didn't really have time to stay and argue with her. "Whatever" He shrugged waving a hand through the air. "Just make sure you're back quickly, and try not to talk to anyone" he grumbled before turning on his heel to leave.

**XXXXXX**

After the phone call with Simon and another round with the toilet bowl that morning, Clary thought for sure her day was going downhill at a rapid pace, that is, until Jace came into the kitchen telling her that he wasn't going to be home all day, and "allowing" her to drive into the city.

It was as if God himself was telling her that this little white lie was all right. And that is what she told herself as she got ready that morning.

She was excited to see Simon, there was no denying that, but the excitement was dulled by an overwhelming feeling of guilt. How would he feel once he found out? What was he going to do when she first got there? He would understand why she couldn't say anything right?

It took her about forty five minutes to get from Jace's house, because she had to call a cab to avoid the stress of finding a parking space in the city. When she arrived at Taki's she could see Simon sitting at a table right at their usual spot by the window, and she started to go back on her decision. He looked so somber sitting there all alone, was he going to yell at her?

"Hey lady, are you going to get out?" The cab driver said pulling Clary out of her thoughts.

Puffing out her cheeks and ignoring him she reached in her pants pocket pulling out the money for her fare and handed it to the driver, as she slid out of the cab wordlessly.

Almost immediately Simon saw her through the window and his body seemed to perk up. When she walked into the restaurant, the familiar scent of deep fried…everything filled her nostrils, reminding Clary that she didn't eat that morning because she was sick.

When she reached Simon, he was already standing, ready to pull her into a hug. His arms circled around her and her head pressed into his chest, he still smelled like Axe deodorant and Fritos. They were silent in an embrace for a few moments before Simon pulled away, too soon Clary thought, but she dropped her arms to her sides anyway.

Once they sat and ordered their food, Clary felt the tension rise, she knew Simon was itching to ask her a ton of questions. "Simon-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" He interjected not looking at her directly. "You're my best friend Clary, I was so worried about you!"

"I know, I'm sorry." She huffed, slumping against the booth. "I couldn't…I can't…I'm not supposed to say anything." She stuttered shaking her head ashamed.

"So you are seriously dating that…that…self-riotous…self-indulgent… sell out?" Simon scoffed rolling his eyes and snaking his arms against his chest. Simon never really liked mainstream bands and artists, he was in a band with his friend Eric and they were about as underground as you could get. Every other day they were changing their name, or getting a new member because the other's quit so often. So he got pretty bitter when it came to successful artists, but Clary never called him out on it.

Clary opened her mouth to say something, to finally get the truth out there but Simon spoke up again. "How could you start dating someone like that, in your condition?" He asked accusingly, in a hushed voice, his eyes finally locking with hers. They were full of worry and concern and it tore Clary apart.

"Simon." She said softly. "Jace is-"

"No" He growled. "Do not even say it" He held a finger up and shook his head, closing his eyes for a second. Clary looked down at her lap, wringing her hands together nervously. "How—when—Clary…why?" His tone was pitiful, like he wanted to be angry but just felt sorry for her in the end.

"My birthday, at Pandemonium…when you left to go and see Maia…" Her cheeks began to flush and she felt Simon's gaze hot on her face.

"You said it was someone from your school" His voice wavered slightly, which made Clary look up to meet his gaze. "Why did you lie?"

"Because I knew you would get all crazy and probably want to be there with me every second of the night and I just-"

"You're damn right I would have wanted to be there!" His voice rose to a louder level and a few people looked over at them curiously. "If I would have been there maybe you wouldn't be in this mess!" He scrubbed a hand over his face and then ran I through his hair. "I'm sorry..i didn't mean-"

"Yeah you did" Clary squeaked with a shrug. "It is a mess" She admitted with a slight laugh. "All of this is one big giant mess. I was stupid that night, I know that already. And I should've just handled it myself, like we talked about when I first found out. But instead I sought out Jace and told him and now I'm stuck in this stupid fake relationship with a guy who I'm pretty sure doesn't want anything to do with me, and I'm pregnant and sick all the time and just…It's just…it's a mess" Taking in a deep breath she puffed out her cheeks and let it out, her whole body moving, like it was breathing a sigh of relief.

"Fake relationship?" Simon questioned quirking an eyebrow upward. "So you aren't really dating that tool?"

"Not technically, no" Clary shook her head, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Oh thank god." Simon breathed sitting back in his chair. Clary looked at him curiously. "That's all you care about?" She questioned narrowing her eyes and snaking her arms across her chest.

"Oh come on Clary, you know that isn't true. I care about you, and I'm glad he is at least acknowledging the fact that this is just as much his fault as yours," He reached across the table and laid his hand on hers, "but I'm just glad you won't get hurt, in the end. He isn't going to break your heart."

Pursing her lips together Clary nodded. "Yeah" She said with a sigh, tucking a fallen piece of hair behind her ear.

The food came out right in the nick of time, Clary thought, so their conversation was halted. When the waitress left again, they were both silent, and for once Clary didn't mind not talking. "So how have you been feeling?" Simon asked leaning his elbows onto the table and staring intently at Clary.

"Fine, of course I can't keep anything in my stomach longer than a couple hours, but other than that…" Her sentence trailed off and she shrugged as she pulled apart a chicken tender and stuffed a piece into her mouth after blowing on it. "Well I mean does he like…help you out? Is he taking you to the doctors for your checkups? You've been asking your vitamins right?" Simon rambled, his eyes widening with concern causing Clary to roll her eyes and laugh a little.

"Simon stop, I'm fine." Clary laughed. "Can we just, not talk about this right now though? We haven't seen each other in almost three weeks and I need some normal conversation before I have to go back to Prison a la Herondale" Clary joked, with a hint of seriousness in her voice.

Nodding his head Simon agreed to drop the subject, and he quickly moved on to telling Clary about his latest name change for the band. "Blue Line Assassins" Clary just shook her head in amusement and listened as Simon went on and on about their latest band member, and his currently off-again status with Maia.

It was nice being able to just talk to Simon. Lately the only people Clary could talk to were Harriett and Hodge, and Hodge just seemed to grunt and grumble whenever Clary tried making conversation.

After about an hour of talking and eating, Clary asked Simon if he would accompany her to her apartment. She did tell Jace that she would be getting some stuff today, so she couldn't got back empty handed.

They caught a cab and ventured out to Clary's apartment. Her apartment was small, the hotel room that Michael had let her stay in the first few weeks was actually a little bit bigger, and it was just the way she left it three weeks ago. Clothes scattered everywhere, a few dishes still in the sink, and her tv was on but the sounded was muted….woops.

She stuffed a suitcase full of things that she thought she might be need, clothes, shoes, her laptop, a few books, and her sketchpad.

The walk down stairs and outside the apartment complex was silent; Simon held the cab door open for Clary so she could slide in. "You sure you don't want me to come with you?" He asked softly.

"You can't, I didn't tell Jace that I was meeting with you, and no one is supposed to know." Clary sighed, fixing the strap of her duffle bag on her shoulder and bit the inside of her cheek. "Ok well…at least make sure you call me and let me know when you get back, and no more ignoring my phone calls. And please for the love of God-"

Clary shut Simon up by pulling him into a hug. "Thank you for not yelling at me today" She said, her voice muffled against his chest. Clary felt his cautiously wrap his arms around her as he let out a deep breath.

"You don't know how badly I wanted to" He joked his breath moving the hair on the top of Clary's head. "Don't tell Jonathan we talked" Clary said as they parted from each other.

"I'm not stupid Clary." Simon laughed. "_I_ have the overwhelming urge to junk punch that mainstream tool, I can only imagine what Jon would do." Clary sucked in a breath and shook the thoughts out of her head.

"Bye Simon" she sighed sliding into the cab when the driver yelled at her to hurry up. "Talk to you later Clare" Simon smiled with a small wave, closing the cab door softly behind her.

Clary told the driver Jace's address and leaned her head back against the sticky leather of the cab seat. She thought it would be nice finally having someone to tell, but it almost made it all worse.

Now she had two secrets to keep.

**XXXXXX**

Clary was sitting in the back of the packed club that Jace had taken her to for his best friend, and band mate, Sebastian's birthday. The music was bumping; literally, Clary could see the water in her glass ripple from the beats that were radiating through the club. Within the first twenty minutes of them being there Jace had left her and she had yet to see him again, two hours later.

She sat at a secluded table in a corner in the back, her eyes scanning over the large crowd of gyrating couples, and girls, who were probably underage, jumping up and down to the beat of the music.

Two months ago she would have loved the scene in front of her, and joined in without hesitation. Right now though, she was annoyed and just wanted to get out of there, the only problem being that she couldn't find Jace no matter how hard she tried.

Looking down at her phone she saw that it was quarter after midnight, and she felt her body grow five times more tired.

It had been three days since she told Simon, and he had been texting her every day since nonstop, but he hadn't texted back since about an hour and half ago, probably because a sane person didn't stay up this late on a weekday.

Standing up she shoved her phone into the small clutch purse that she was carrying and smoothed out her dress before making yet another journey to the bathroom, her fifth time that night. Scanning the crowd as she passed, she caught a glint of what looked like golden hair, and without another thought, she was pushing through the crowd of swaying bodies her eyes never leaving her destination.

_"Jace." _She breathed as she finally clawed her way out. Clary never thought she'd been so happy to see the boy since the first time she met him.

He was posted up against a wall laughing with, who Clary assumed was Sebastian, drink in hand and girls fawning all over the two of them. Clenching her jaw Clary stomped her way over to the two boys and there nudging a few girls out of the way with her elbows, which was harder than she anticipated considering she was so small.

When she finally got through the "wall of slut" as Clary called it in her mind, she was standing right in front of Jace, her arms snaked across her chest. "Clary!" He said with a grin, even though Clary could tell he was shocked to see her standing there. "Hey babe" He coughed, but Clary just shook her head and scoffed.

"Can I talk to you?" She asked, her tone of voice not really giving Jace a real choice in the matter. "Alone." She finished looking at all the girls that were now staring daggers into her, shooing them away with her hand, and sighing in relief when they actually complied.

"I'll uh…be at the bar…good luck" Sebastian said, patting Jace on the shoulder, when Clary shot him a warning glare, _smart guy_. Jace smiled after Sebastian until his friend turned fully away, and then his smile fell from his lips and he looked at Clary angrily. "What the hell?" He yelled over the music lifting his arms in the air and dropping them back to his sides.

"I want to go home" She said holding her ground, crossing her arms against her chest once more. She knew this would be a problem, see Michael would not approve of Clary and Jace leaving at separate times, too much room for rumors there, so if they were going to leave, it had to be together. Jace opened his mouth to say something but then snapped it shut rolling his eyes.

He hooked his fingers around her upper arm and pulled her behind him. She had no idea where he was going but she followed, not that she had much of a choice, his grip was locked on her. They reached the hallway to the bathrooms, where the music was audible but it was much quieter. "What?" He barked making Clary jump slightly as he dropped his hand from her arm. "

"I want to go home." She said again, this time slower, in an almost mocking tone. "Why?" Jace asked with a scoff, Clary could smell the alcohol on his breath and it made her stomach churn uncomfortably. "Why?" She said with a slight laugh. "Have you forgotten, Jace, that I am preg-" She stopped midsentence when a girl emerged from the bathroom.

Jace and Clary stood facing each other awkwardly as she drunk girl stumbled past them, shooting them a curious glance over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

"I'm pregnant!" She finished in a yell this time. She hated saying it out loud but it was time Jace had a reality check. "I am tired, my back hurts, I'm hungry, the smell of this club is making me want to vomit, and I have been to the bathroom every half an hour since we got here." Her body was shaking with anger, but Jace's face seemed to soften up a little bit. "I want to go home" She said again, her voice so soft it sounded a little needy.

Nodding his head he motioned for her to follow him, and he lead her back out to the dance floor where everyone seemed to be going at the same pace, that they had been all night. Jace lead her all the way back to the table that she had sat at all night. "I'll be right back" He yelled over the music holding up a finger. "Stay here" He added before turning away and leaving her there.

Fifteen minutes later Jace was back, Clary's jacket in his hand. Smiling softly she took it from him and pulled it on quickly hopping up from the bar stool she was sitting on, ready to finally leave this place. Holding out his hand Clary looked at him cautiously, before sliding hers into his. He was warm and his big hand seemed to swallow her small one. Clary just stared at them as Jace led her toward the exit. His skin was so tanned and golden compared to her pale and milky complexion that it made her feel really self-conscious.

When Jace pushed the exit door open, the cool air snapped Clary out of her thoughts and she recoiled her hand from Jace's wrapping her arms around her waist for warmth. "I called Hodge so you wouldn't have to take a cab" Jace said motioning toward the familiar SUV that was waiting by the curb. "You aren't coming?" Clary asked furrowing her brows together.

Shaking his head Jace shoved his hands into his pants pockets. "There is someone I have to….I'll just be home later." He said with a slight shrug not completely looking at Clary, it was more like he was looking over her, which with their height difference really wasn't that hard for him to do. "Whatever" Clary grumbled turning away from him and stomping towards the SUV.

She could hear Jace's footsteps behind her and she rolled her eyes. When she opened the backseat door she turned to face the golden haired boy, "I'll see you in the morning then" She said questioningly. "Yeah" Jace said with a nod, "I think we are scheduled to go out to breakfast."

_Scheduled. _Clary knew that the only reason he took her out was because Michael told him when and where, but it wouldn't hurt for him to make her feel like he was just doing it because he wanted to. God she hated feeling this way.

"Great" She replied blandly. She noticed Jace's eyes flick from hers to just over her shoulder, making her curious as to what he kept looking at, and when she glanced over her shoulder she let out a low groan. Paparazzi. Of course.

So when she turned back and Jace was leaning in, for what she assumed was a kiss she took a step back from him. "Bye" She spat climbing into the car and slamming the door closed before Jace could protest her actions. She knew she would most likely get the wrath of Jace when she woke up in the morning but at that point in the night she didn't really care.

"Would you like me to stop anywhere for you Miss?" Hodge asked looking at her through the rear view mirror. "There is a 24 hour McDonalds just down the block" he added cocking his head to one side.

Clary smiled lightly and nodded her head vigorously like a child. At least there would be one good point in her night.


	5. Jealousy

I'm not 100% sure how i feel about this chapter. Its kind of just a filler but still it's important. This was kind of hard for me to write, so don't be afraid to tell me something you don't like!

I'm really excited to post the next few chapters though, they should be out within the week, if i get enough feedback (:

****I DO NOT OWN THE NAMES THEY BELONG TO CASSANDRA CLARE AND THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES. I ONLY OWN THE PLOT****

* * *

Clary hated the rain. And for the past week that's all it had been doing. She was trapped inside the huge house with nothing but her sketchpad and the company of Jace's help staff. Of course Jace didn't have this problem, he was allowed leaving. In fact, he made sure to do so every single night for the past week, since Sebastian's birthday party. Clary felt like a prisoner, and every time she would ask Jace why she couldn't leave he always replied the same things. "It's for your own safety." Like people would actually recognize her if she wasn't latched onto Jace's arm. He even went as far as confiscating her laptop.

To ease some of her frustration she'd decided to text Simon earlier that day, but that gave her the exact opposite effect that she was hoping.

_"Don't forget about your doctor's appointment tomorrow"_

**"I won't, don't worry."**

"Jonathan keeps asking about you"

**"And? What are you telling him?"**

_"That you are fine, and that your phone is broken but should be fixed soon enough."_

**"Good."**

_"He isn't dumb Clary he knows you are avoiding him. So do your parents."_

**"Your point?"**

_"You're going to have to tell them sooner or later."_

**"I choose later"**

_"Clary"_

**"Simon"**

_"You are an adult now. You are going to have to grow up and face your fears head on. You can't run and hide and hope they give up and disappear. You are stronger than that."_

**"Ok mother"**

_"Now see, if I was really your mother you and me wouldn't be having this conversation."_

**"Stop"**

_"No"_

**Ten minutes later**

_"Clary come on"_

**Five minutes later**

_"Stop being a child"_

**Five minutes later. **

_"CLARISSA ADELE MORGENSTERN!"_

After that Clary called Simon and cursed him out for calling her by her full name. He knew how much it got under her skin, and she did everything in her power to hide it from people. And to make it worse when she was finished Simon simply snickered and replied, "Got you to talk to me though didn't I?" At which point Clary hung up on him and hasn't replied to his texts since.

She sat in her bed, sketchbook balanced on her knees, her eyes closed as she tried to think of something, anything, to draw. She had been having a major artist block lately. She took a few moments to allow her mind to wander to things, no matter how ridiculous, that she could draw.

_"The Statue of Liberty? No…the Golden Gate Bridge? Nahh…are there any other big bridges that are important? Isn't there one in London? Oooo no Big Ben! Isn't that the giant clock?...nahhh, the Eiffel Tower that's in France? Oooo France, with hot French dudes…and French toast….and French fries…McDonalds French fries with a 10 piece chicken nugget meal and a large coke. Mmmmm, I'm Hungry."_

When she opened her eyes she felt the familiar pain that let her know her stomach thought otherwise. She pressed her palm into her abdomen hoping it would go away but it just seemed to get worse. She hadn't gotten sick in a few days and she thought she was finally in the clear, apparently that wasn't the case.

Standing up slowly, so she didn't slosh her stomach around too much, she drug her feet to the door and trudged down the hall to the bathroom, groaning with every step she took.

Taking the door knob in her hand she jiggled it and let out a groan of disappointment, it was locked. "Jace!" She yelled jiggling the knob a few more times before banging her hand against the hard wood. "Jace open the door!" She yelled again this time sounding more urgent. "Seriously unlock the door I need in there!"

She could feel the heat rising to her face, she didn't have much time. "Come on Jace don't be an asshole!" Her hand made contact with the door one last time before it swung open viciously, revealing an angry looking girl that Clary did not recognize.

"What the hell is your problem? Ever hear of privacy?" The mystery girl spat starring at Clary expectantly, a towel wrapped around her body and her long black, soaking wet hair sticking to her face and shoulders. Clary just stared at her dumbly, her mouth slightly a gape, one arm still wrapped around her waist.

"What can't you speak?" The girl growled snaking her arms against her nearly exposed chest.

Clary opened her mouth to speak but it was too late, her stomach lurched causing her knees to buckle. Next thing she knew she was crouched in front of the mystery girl spilling the contents of her stomach out right in front of her.

The girl returned Clary's actions with a blood curdling screech.

It seemed to go on forever, the girl was yelling profanities at Clary, who was still doubled over in front of her, her head felt light and she kept seeing black spots when she tried to blink.

"Finally" the girl snapped her hands clapping to the bear skin of her thighs. "Took you long enough to get here. What the hell Jace?"

_Shit._ Clary thought, feeling another bought of sickness ready to wash over her.

"What happened?" Jace asked Clary didn't have to look up to know he was smirking; it was very evident in his voice.

"This is not funny Jace..sh..she..she puked on me!" The girl yelled, Clary felt her face heat up and she grabbed hold of the arch of the doorway, weakly pulling herself up to her feet.

Her whole body tensed when she felt a muscular arm wrap around her stomach. Jace held onto Clary tightly bracing her against his side. "Calm down Isabelle" Jace said with another small laugh. _So that was her name. _"Calm down?! I…don't you dare tell me to calm down right now…she." Isabelle paused and eyed Clary.

"Is she going to do it again?" She asked her eyes narrowing, Clary could feel the knot in her stomach begin to expand and she guessed that her face was growing paler from the way Jace and Isabelle were looking at her.

Jace went to take a step toward the bathroom and Isabelle held up her hand. "Nuh-uh. Take her to your bathroom; I'm getting back in the shower." Her words came out sharp and she turned away from Jace and Clary looking over her shoulder shooting them an icy glare. "And I'm not cleaning that up" She spat slamming the door closed behind her.

**XXXXXX**

"Come on" Jace breathed, leading Clary along with him, his arm still around her waist so she could steadily walk beside him.

"Are you alright?" He asked once they got inside his bedroom and he ushered her quickly into his connecting bathroom, letting her ease herself down in front of the toilet bowl.

He leaned against the sink counter that was just a little to the right of the toilet and looked down at Clary with concern but her eyes were trained on the white porcelain.

"I'm…" she started to say and then her body gave a strong lurch and she was back at it. Jace didn't know what to do so he just stood there, stupidly. Staring at her as her body convulsed, and he had to admit it looked quite painful.

He was in full panic mode as he looked around the room for something anything, did she need a washcloth? Don't people put them on their foreheads when they are sick? Did she need water? Food? Was something wrong with her? Awkwardly and slowly he kneeled beside her and placed a hand on the small of her back.

He delicately rubbed up and down her spine at a soothing pace, something his mom used to do when he got sick when we was younger. Finally Clary had stopped, her breathing was hard and her knuckles were white from gripping the toilet bowl so hard.

"Holy shit" he breathed when she slipped out his reach and leaned herself up against the wall directly in front of the toilet. "Does that happen a lot?" His eyes wide as he stared at Clary warily, she just nodded and tucked an untamed curl behind her ear.

"Do you need anything? Some..water? Tylenol? Anything?" Jace questioned scooting over beside her. "No." She grumbled standing up and stepping over his outstretched legs. Did he say something wrong? Was he not supposed to care?

"Hey" he called, standing up and quickening his pace up to hers as she walked into his bedroom. "Are you ok? I'm just trying to help." He caught her by the arm gently and she whirled around, her fiery hair whipping wildly around her face.

"I'm fine." She said blandly, looking off to the side to avoid his eyes.

"I don't know about you, but I don't think that was fine. Does that happen every day? Why didn't you tell me? I could've-"

"Could've what? You can't do anything to make it stop so why should you care?" Clary snapped quirking an eyebrow and narrowing her gaze.

"Because, I deserve to know if everything with you and the-" He paused, shook his head and regrouped, "I just deserve to know if everything is ok or not! You can't just act like this isn't-"

"Is _she_ the reason you've been out almost every night this week?" Clary asked, catching Jace a little off guard. "Who Izzy?" Jace asked receiving a look that screamed 'duh' from Clary. "I mean..in a matter of speaking yes but-"

Clary cut him off with a scoff. "So while I'm being held up here like a prisoner, you are out having fun with some floozy from a night club? Real classy Jace." She spat yanking her arm out of his grasp.

Jace just stared at her baffled, his eyebrows furrowed together "What are you-"

"You know, I don't care what or who you do. But the next time you want to bring a girl home, can you at least tell me so this doesn't happen again? That would be amazing. Thanks" Her words were icy and her arms were crisscrossed against her chest.

Jace continued to stare at her for a moment before his mouth turned up into a grin. She was jealous. "Wait…you think…" He paused and let out a laugh, and Clary shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "You think me and…and Izzy…" He laughed again, this time harder. "Eww!" He shook his head and took a step closer to Clary. "She is my sister."

If the fact that Clary was jealous over Isabelle wasn't enough to make Jace grin, watching her narrowed eyes soften and her mouth fall slightly agape definitely was.

"She had been in Europe for modeling all summer and she came back the night of Sebastian's birthday, that's why I couldn't leave with you. And that is why I've been out every night for the past week. Izzy can drink. But she isn't smart and doesn't always make the best decisions when she gets trashed, so I have to be there to cut her off" Jace explained, a still satisfied smile evident on his lips. "You don't have to be jealous of-"

"J-Jealous?" This time Clary laughed, but Jace picked up on the way her voice wavered. "I am definitely not jealous. Embarrassed, yes, but no..not jealous." She was rambling, a tell-tale sign to Jace that she was lying. Every one rambled when they got nervous especially Clary.

"Ok" He shrugged his voice not sounding too convinced. "It just seemed to me like-"

"I'm not jealous!" Clary squeaked throwing her hands in the air.

"Whatever you say little red" Jace smiled raising his eyebrows playfully and shooting her a wink.

"Ugh" Clary groaned turning away from him and stomping toward the door. Jace expected her to slam her way out of his room but she stopped just as she was about to grab the door knob and turned back to him. "I...uh…I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow."

When Jace shot her a confused look she subtly motioned toward her stomach. "If you want to come, it's whatever…you don't have to I know you're busy with your album and all that so…it's cool if you can't."

"No" Jace spoke up, his voice cracking a bit. The atmosphere in the room changed immediately. Clary looked down at her feet and Jace cleared his throat. "No, yeah, I will totally go… Yeah." He nodded and sucked his bottom lip between his teeth. "Cool" Clary said with a nod turning away to open to door.

"Yeah, cool" Jace said as he watched her disappear around the corner.

Puffing out his cheeks he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in and fell onto his bed.

**XXXXXX**

After a three hour nap, Clary woke up still feeling like she'd been hit by a semi, on the upside though she actually felt hungry, and as she neared the kitchen she could smell something delicious making her stomach grumble loudly.

Pausing just outside the doorway, she noticed that Harriett was talking to someone, another female, and even though Clary knew who it was she prayed she was wrong.

"Alec and Magnus should be coming be here within the week." She heard the girl, Isabelle, say, and it made Clary wonder what other family members Jace had. When she talked about her family, he never really said anything about his, and all the tabloids that featured him never mentioned anything either.

"I am not even nearly ready for this dinner party." Harriett said with a tsk. "Your brother has been so busy lately; you would think that he has been avoiding it."

"He probably is" Isabelle scoffed. "He's never been one for family bonding." She joked.

"Well that's going to have to change now, isn't it?" Harriett said and Clary could picture the stern look that was probably on her face. "Now that Ms. Morgenstern is here-"

Before Harriett could finish Clary stepped into the kitchen, clearing her throat to make herself known, "Clary" Harriett said brightly, looking up from a large pot that she was stirring.

"Feeling better?" She asked, making Clary's cheeks flare up.

"Uh yeah," She said with a small smile. Slowly she lifted her gaze to meet Isabelle's who seemed intent on staring coldly at her. "I'm really sorry..about…ya know…earlier.." Clary said wiping her hands up and down her thighs nervously.

Clary could feel Isabelle looking her up and down, eyeing her curiously, before giving a small shrug. "Don't make it a habit."

After a few more moments of Clary awkwardly wringing her hands by the door Isabelle sighed loudly. "I'm Izzy, Jace's sister" She said with a small forced smile. "Yeah, Jace told me who you were after…this morning happened" Clary let out a weak laugh which turned into a cough as she nodded, gulping down the knot that was in her dry, throat. "I'm Clary" She added quickly feeling stupid for not starting with that.

"Yeah Jace told me who you were, you know...after he found out he knocked you up." Isabelle shot back so coldly that Clary felt a chill run through her body. Clearly this girl did not like her. And could Clary blame her? She was messing up her brother's life….and she threw up on her. If Clary was in Isabelle's position she would hate herself too.

"I-I'm sorry I interrupted your conversation. I'm just gonna go back to my room." Clary stammered turning quickly on her heel and escaping the icy glare that Isabelle was giving her. She jogged up the steps taking two at a time, trying to get to her room before the tears that were threatening, fell down her cheeks but she didn't quite get there in time.

Wiping the back of her hand against her cheek and squeezed her eyes shut just for a moment, before, she ran into a hard body.

**XXXXXX**

"Ooof" Jace grunted when Clary ran right into him. Wasn't she watching where she was going. He was just about to make a snarky comment to her when he saw the glisten against her cheeks. "Clary.." He breathed, hooking his fingers onto her shoulders and pushing her softly away from him so he could bend down to look at her face. "What happened?" the concern in his voice even apparent to him.

"Nothing, I'm just…it's really nothing." Clary sputtered trying to take a step back but Jace kept his grip tight.

"Was it Izzy? Did she say something?" Jace asked and Clary immediately began shaking her head. "I'm fine…really. Don't worry about it." She said with a nod. His fingers slackened against her shoulders and she took the opportunity to tear herself away from him.

Opening his mouth to say something he snapped it shut when Clary turned to go the other way, slipping into the bathroom and closing the door softly behind her.

Running a hand through his golden hair he jogged down the stairs towards the kitchen, even if she denied it, he knew that Izzy had something to do with it. She always did.

"—need to learn your manners. Didn't need to go and upset the poor girl" Ahh, so she did say something. Jace stomped into the kitchen and went directly to the island where Izzy was seated, slapping his hands against the marble counter top across from her causing her to jump slightly. "What did you do?" He grumbled furrowing his brows together.

"I don't know? What did I do?" Izzy asked her eyes widening innocently.

"You made her cry." Jace scoffed. Why did she have to be so difficult?

"She's pregnant; it's probably just the hormones." Izzy shrugged, examining her finger nails as if she was really interested in them.

"Izzy" Jace said warningly. "I didn't mean for it to come out as harshly as it did." Izzy said with a one shoulder shrug.

"I need you two to get along" Jace grumbled his voice stern and never wavering. "You are my sister and she is….I just...I need you two to get along" He finished.

"Whatever," Izzy sighed, clicking her tongue to the roof of her mouth, and looking away from Jace to study her nails again. Jace stared at her hotly for a few moments before giving up on her.

"I have to get to the studio. I swear to God Izzy if I hear anything else-"

"Jesus Jace just go! Your precious baby mama will be fine" She snarled, her eyebrows raising up her forehead.

"Iz" Jace grumbled back, raising his arms and dropping them to his sides.

"Ok! I'm sorry," Izzy said holding up her hands in defense. "Clary.." She corrected, her voice sounding too sweet for Jace's liking. "Will be just fine." mockingly she blinked innocently a few times,

Jace just rolled his eyes, he didn't have time to scold her like the child she was being, he was already late as it was. "I'll be home late. Don't wait up." He called over his shoulder as he turned to leave the kitchen. "Never do big brother" Izzy called back, causing Jace to smile.

**XXXXXX**

Clary lay in her bed staring at the ceiling. She didn't blame Isabelle for what she said, in fact any other day it wouldn't have affected Clary at all. Just sometimes she didn't like people to point out the giant elephant in the room that was Clary's pregnancy. She was still trying to cope with it herself, so when other people brought it up, she shut down completely and did what she does best, run away from the problem. Except in this case she couldn't run from acceptance much longer.

She was just about to pull her phone off her nightstand to call Simon when there was a light knock on her door. She figured it was just Harriett bringing her something to eat since she bolted out of the kitchen so quickly. "Come in" she croaked, her voice slightly horse.

When the door opened however, it wasn't Harriett who was standing there holding a tray. It was Isabelle, and she looked less than pleased to be in this situation. Clary tore her eyes away from the tall, thin girl and looked back at her phone screen, desperately wanting to avoid any type of conversation.

Isabelle set the tray on Clary's night stand and stood in beside her bed for longer than Clary liked. Slowly, she lifted her head and locked eyes with the Izzy. "I'm sorry that I made you cry" Isabelle droned, letting out a sigh, of what Clary assumed was relief. Jace must have put her up to this.

Clary shrugged and looked away again. "It's fine. I've been crying about everything lately. Last week I cried because we ran out of milk" It was true, she woke up hungry for some fruit loops and just before she poured a bowl Jace informed her that they were out of milk and Clary all but crumpled into a million pieces right there in the kitchen. It scared the shit out of Jace, which looking back at it now made Clary smile on the inside.

"See, I told him it was the hormones" Isabelle said, Clary heard the lightness in her tone now. So Jace did talk to her about it. Why did he care?

"But.." Izzy started again. "He wants us to get along. So either way I'm sorry." Clary looked up again to meet Izzy's dark eyes and they were no longer cold, they looked kind of sincere and Clary returned the look with a small smile. "I didn't mean to be such a bitch it's just.." She sighed and smoothed her hands against her thighs. "He is my brother and this whole thing is just…crazy" A chuckle fell from her lips and she shook her head.

"Although I must say, all that partying was bound to catch up with him eventually." Izzy joked but Clary winced. "You aren't his usual type though" Isabelle eyed Clary and flicked an eyebrow upward.

"What's his usual type?" Clary asked trying not to sound so offended.

"Slut." Isabelle shrugged with a small giggle. Clary tried to laugh back but it sounded too forced.

"I'm pretty tired." She said after Izzy just stood there for a few minutes in silence. "Oh right." Isabelle said. "Harriett made chicken noodle soup, so if you're hungry" She motioned toward the silver tray that had a large bowl and a plate of crackers.

"Yeah thanks" Clary squeaked, wrapping her fingers around her phone charger cord waiting for Isabelle to retreat.

When Izzy turned to leave Clary slid up to a better sitting position and placed the tray on her out stretched legs.

"He really cares about you, you know?" Izzy said turning just slightly so she could see over her shoulder. The door handle already open enough for her to walk through. "Jace" She clarified when Clary looked at her dumbfounded. "He acts like he doesn't care, because that's what he's always done, but…" She paused and sucked in a deep breath. "He cares."

And with that Isabelle left the room, leaving Clary to stare at her door when it closed behind her.


	6. I Can Explain

****I DO NOT OWN THE NAMES IN THIS STORY THEY BELONG TO CASSANDRA CLARE AND THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES. THE ONLY THING I OWN IS THE PLOT** **

* * *

Jace had told Clary that he would meet her at the hospital that afternoon, so Clary was sat alone in the waiting room, her fingers tapping against her knee anxiously. He had an interview earlier that morning, promotion or something, all Clary cared about was when he was going to get there.

"Clarissa Morgenstern." A nurse in all pink scrubs called from the doorway.

_Shit._ Clary thought standing up slowly; her jacket hanging from her arms that were crossed over her midsection. The nurse smiled at Clary and held the door open wider for her to walk through. "Is it just you?" She asked sweetly.

Clary nodded and gave her a weak smile. The sound of the automatic doors opening caught her attention and she peered over her shoulder to see if, by some miracle, it was Jace walking through the doors, but it wasn't.

"Right this way Miss. Morgenstern" The nurse said clearing her throat and motioning Clary to follow.

The hallway seemed to stretch for miles until Clary was finally placed into her own room. There were pictures of uteruses and infants everywhere and it made Clary uncomfortable, so she just stared into her lap. "Dr. Branwell will be with you momentarily." The nurse smiled before backing out of the room and closing the door behind her. The click of the door closing echoed through the small space and it sent a shiver down Clary's spine.

Angrily she pulled out her phone and jabbed her fingers against the screen, holding it up to her ear she waited, biting on her bottom lip, until the person on the other end picked up.

"I am so sorry." His voice flooded through the speaker as soon as he picked up. "I got held up in an interview and then we had to do some radio promo and I forgot-"

"You forgot?" Clary scoffed, her voice drowning in bitterness. "I asked you yesterday if you were busy and you told me no. You said you would be here."

"I know I'm sorry, is it too late? Are you still waiting?" Jace asked. She wanted to be mad. She wanted to be pissed off at him and hang up the phone and give him the silent treatment, but there was a certain seriousness to his voice.

Letting out a deep breath she pursed her lips. "No. I'm not waiting anymore. They took me back to a room; the doctor will be here soon." She heard him curse under his breath and it actually made her stomach feel lighter. Maybe Isabelle was right, maybe he really cared?

"It's fine." Clary said grudgingly. "I'll just...tell you about it when I get home." She scrubbed her at hand down her thigh and blew out a gust of air.

"Are you sure? If you aren't sure then just tell me and I'll find a way to get there?" Jace asked urgently, and Clary could hear voices in the background asking him what was going on.

"No it's fine, you're busy. Nothing too important will happen today anyway, it's just a checkup." Clary shrugged even though Jace couldn't see it.

"Ok well, I guess I'll just see you later then…" Jace said a tinge of awkwardness in his voice.

"Yeah, I will see you when I get home" Clary reassured him.

They said goodbye and Clary felt a little better. He didn't just stand her up, he was busy at least. And he sounded pretty genuine about being upset that he couldn't make it. She rubbed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She should've just had Simon come with her, she thought to herself when the door opened and a small, cheery woman walked through the threshold.

"Hello, Clarissa, I am Dr. Branwell. How are you today?" She asked with a smile, stopping in front of Clary, her hand held out in front of her.

"It's just Clary" She corrected, smiling back, gripping the doctor's hand in hers lightly, before dropping it back into her lap. "And I'm ok." Clary muttered.

"Well Clary" Dr. Branwell began sitting down into a circular rolling chair, flipping over pages on her clipboard. "It says here that you are eight and a half, almost nine weeks today, is that correct?" She asked looking up at Clary earnestly.

"Something like that" Clary muttered back, tucking a fallen strand of hair behind her ear.

"And have you experienced any kind of sickness, nausea, stomach pain, headaches, nose bleeds?" Dr. Branwell rattled off pursing her lips together.

"I get sick almost every morning." Clary said sheepishly. "And sometimes my stomach will hurt, like I'm hungry but I can't eat."

"Ok" Dr. Branwell said slowly, marking something down on a piece of paper. "The nausea should stop, or become less frequent now, but you might start experiencing some other symptoms that may not seem normal, if you have any questions don't be afraid to call the hospital and ask for me." Her smile took up her small face and Clary didn't know whether to take it genuinely or as if she did this with all her patients, but she nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"And the father? Is he going to be," She paused and Clary knew what she was thinking. "around?" Dr. Branwell asked, a look of, almost, pity crossed her face and it made Clary shift her position slightly. "Uh yeah, he just-he couldn't make it today so…" Her voice trailed off as she nodded.

"Right, Ok." Dr. Branwell said checking off one last thing and placing the clipboard on a desk to her left. "Today we are going to do an ultrasound. Do you know what that is?" She asked Clary, who nodded back obediently.

"Good, now I'm going to need you to lie all the way back..." Dr. Branwell started, waiting for Clary to position herself to begin again.

"Now today is just a checkup to make sure that everything is where it needs to be, but maybe if we are lucky…" Her voice trailed off, a grin splayed on her face as she folded Clary's shirt up until it was just under her chest. "We might be able to hear a heartbeat."

Her eyes were glimmering, and when she was finished she just looked at Clary expectantly. Like she wanted her to be excited, but Clary couldn't muster any excitement up, she was too nervous. So she just stared back, blank faced until Dr. Branwell looked away.

"I'm going to squirt this gel onto your stomach; it's going to be cold." Dr. Branwell warned shaking the clear bottle slightly so the goo inside would collect toward the nozzle. "And then I'm going to run this over your stomach and it will appear on this monitor here." She finished, pointing to the computer monitor right by Clary's head.

Clary nodded, but was not ready for how cold the gel actually was. A shiver went through her body, and then a tickling sensation followed when Dr. Branwell moved the wand around her stomach swiftly.

All Clary could see was gray. She tried to make out whatever shape the doctor was pointing to but she just couldn't.

It seriously just looked like someone finger painted with black and white paint and covered a whole canvas with splotches of _gray_.

"There it is, right here." Charlotte said stopping at one spot on Clary's stomach. "See that fluttering?" She asked shooting Clary a small glance before looking back at the screen. Clary nodded, maybe she could see something? But it didn't look like anything significant.

Charlotte reached up and hit a switch, which Clary assumed was the volume because when she flicked it, a collective sound of swooshes and wooshes filled the room. "Now listen.." Charlotte said moving the wand on Clary's stomach ever so slightly. "Do you hear that?" She asked staring at the monitor.

And then Clary heard, a steady thumping, accompanied by some more swooshing that meshed together in perfect rhythm. It was a heartbeat, an actual human heartbeat, inside of her.

It took a lot of Clary to hold herself together at that point. Until today, it was just the thought of being pregnant, other than the morning sickness and the bloated feeling, there was no proof that she was truly with child, until right now. Staring at the screen, Clary's throat was starting to burn from how long she had been trying to hold back her tears and her vision started to blur.

"Oh!" Dr. Branwell squeaked rolling her chair a little closer to the monitor station, pressing a few buttons while she was at it. Oh? Oh what? Was she going to elaborate. "W-what? Is something wrong?" Clary sputtered her eyes searching the side of Dr. Branwell's face.

"No, nothing is wrong I just…" Her sentence trailed off and she just sat there, silent.

"It almost sounds like…like two…" Dr. Branwell said, again, her sentence trailing off at the end as she tilted her head to the side a little.

"Two what? Two heart beats?" Clary asked, panic in her voice.

"Are you saying my baby has two hearts or…" No. Clary thought to herself. No there was no way- Charlotte's laugh interrupted her thoughts.

"Your baby does not have two hearts, it means…" Dr. Branwell paused and turned to face Clary completely, "that you could possibly be having twins." A sparkle passed through the doctor's eyes but Clary felt like she was going to vomit.

Twins?!

Probably sensing Clary's panic Dr. Branwell cleared her throat and dropped her smile so it was just a small smirk. "Of course these things pick up all kinds of crazy sounds, so it could always be wrong. We won't know for sure until you are further along."

Was that supposed to reassure her? Because it didn't do anything to help Clary feel better. The tears from before were now stinging her eyes and a few slid down the side of her face and she tried to discretely wipe them away.

"It's ok to get a little emotional." Dr. Branwell said with a smile, patting her hand against Clary's comfortingly. "It's a beautiful thing."

But Clary didn't want to get emotional, not in front of someone she didn't know. Dr. Branwell went on to discuss with Clary certain precautions she should start to take, and what kinds of vitamins she should be taking to make sure her child (or possible children) is healthy.

She sucked in a deep breath and blew it out sharply, taking the towel that Dr. Branwell was offering her to wipe the gunk off her stomach. "Thanks" She muttered, sitting up and fixing her shirt, it still stuck to her from the residue of the goo and made Clary cringe.

"You are welcome." Dr. Branwell cooed standing from the chair. "Now, we are going to need to set up another appointment for in a few weeks, just talk to the secretary on your way out and you are all finished for the day." She said cheerily. Did she ever stop smiling? Clary wondered, hopping down off the hospital bed.

"I hope to meet Mr. Herondale, the next time you come in." Dr. Branwell said over her shoulder as they were about to exit the room. And Clary stared at the back of her shocked.

Of course Dr. Branwell knew who she was, Clary and Jace were plastered all over the newsstands and TV talk shows.

She bit her lip to stop herself from saying something stupid and continued following Dr. Branwell out of the room and toward the waiting area.

**XXXXXX**

"I just still can't believe it. Twins?!" Simon said in a state of wonder, his eyes wide as the two of them sat on his couch in his tiny apartment.

Clary called him as soon as she got out of the hospital because she needed a ride, and someone to talk to. As soon as he pulled up she burst into tears, and probably made a complete fool of herself in the middle of the sidewalk, but she didn't care at that point.

He got out of the car and pulled her into a tight hug, exactly what she needed, and they stayed like that for a solid minute before he pulled away and ushered her into his car. She didn't speak the whole way to his apartment and when they finally got there he made her some hot chocolate and she unloaded all of the information from the doctor's visit.

Now he was looking at her like she had grown an extra head and was confessing that she was an alien. "Holy shit." He muttered turning away from her and running a hand through his hair. "And you haven't told…_him_ yet?" Simon asked arching his eyebrows up to the roof of his head.

"His name is Jace, Simon, and no I haven't talked to him." Clary sighed bringing her knees up to her chest. "Well you should probably let him know, like before you go into labor I'd imagine that'd be quite a shock." Simon said with a small laugh.

Clary hit him in the chest and tried not to smile. "I'm going to tell him. I just…I needed to tell someone I trust first." She shrugged and looked down into her mug that was now almost empty. "Well I'm glad you told me this time." Simon said with a heavy breath. "But shit, what are the odds." He took the words right out of Clary's mouth.

What are the odds of any of this happening? None of this was normal so why was it such a shock to Clary that she might be having twins, she should have expected something this crazy to happen.

"Do you want a ride back to _his..._Jace's house?" Simon corrected himself, cringing a little when he said Jace's name. "What you want me out of here already Lewis? Maia coming over or something?" Clary teased narrowing her eyes playfully.

"Shut up" Simon laughed bopping her with a pillow. "I just didn't know when Prince Charming was going to be home, I know you have a curfew and all" Simon teased back, blinking innocently.

Clary just stuck her tongue out at him and shook her head laughing. She looked down at her phone, it was already almost five o'clock and Jace said he'd be home at six so she didn't have much time.

"I guess I should get going." Clary stated dropping her feet to the ground and putting her mug on the coffee table. "I'll drive you" Simon said standing up the same time Clary did.

"No, you can't. He can't know I was here." Clary said slowly, turning away from Simon and grabbing her bag. "I'll just catch a taxi."

"No, I'm going to drive you, or you aren't going anywhere." Simon said insistently. I really don't want to argue Simon" Clary whined turning back towards him.

"Then don't argue and just let me drive you home." He said with a smile and a shrug.

There was a long silence where the two of them just stared at each other. Simon was smiling cheekily and Clary was glaring back at him.

"Fine," She caved slapping her hands to the sides of her thighs. "You're lucky I am tired right now otherwise I would not be agreeing to this" Clary huffed rolling her eyes and slipping her feet into her shoes, she could hear Simon giving himself his own little victory party behind her but she ignored him to the best of her ability.

**XXXXXX**

Jace was sitting in the back of a large caravan SUV scrolling through his Twitter feed on his phone. He finally had some down time and wanted to check in with his fans. Something he hadn't been able to really do since him and Clary had started their whole escapade.

There were the usual tweets such as. _"Will you marry me?"_ _"Let's be best friends."_ _"Dudes gay for sure"_ (usually from a jealous teenage boy whose girlfriend probably loved Jace)

And lately there had been a lot of posts about him and Clary. _Clace_, was their "ship name" which just made Jace laugh to himself. Some people really liked her, but for the most part, a lot of fans harangued him with questions about it being fake. But Jace couldn't blame them for thinking so, it kind of was fake.

He was about to click out of the app when something caught his eyes.

**_"Jace Herondale's new sweetheart caught cheating?"_**

There was a link attachment at the end, which made Jace's curiosity spark, so naturally he clicked on it, and it brought up a whole slew of pictures Jace had never seen before.

In fact, it was an entire article that Jace had never seen before. The title was the same as the one from the tweet and there were pictures of Clary and some random dark haired boy everywhere.

Some looked like they had come from Facebook, the way the two of them were posing, so Jace knew that they were old, but then as he scrolled further and further down the page he noticed how recent a few looked. In fact, he remembered seeing Clary wearing the exact same outfit in the next to last picture, that morning.

Anger fumed inside of him. She had lied to him, not just once but multiple times it seemed. She was seeing someone behind his back? Someone she'd known for a long time from the looks of it. Jace gripped his phone in his hand so tightly he knew his knuckles were blanched white, and he bit down hard on the inside of his cheek.

Michael is going to be pissed if he sees this, Jace thought to himself, scrubbing a hand over his face. But for some reason that didn't matter, because there was no way Michael was going to be more pissed off than Jace was in this moment.

**XXXXXX**

Before Clary walked through the front door she turned back to give Simon one last wave. He insisted on waiting to leave until she reached the door, like her mom used to do when she went to a friend's house.

When she walked into the grand foyer it was eerily silent. Usually Harriett was blasting the radio or Hodge met her at the door. But there was nothing.

Slowly Clary crept up the stairs and down the long hallway to her bedroom. Never had her bed looked so inviting since she started staying at Jace's house.

Quickly, she changed into a pair of shorts and a baggy t-shirt, falling into her bed and letting out a low groan. She wanted to sleep for the rest of the day, and tomorrow, and possibly the next day.

But the thought of having to tell Jace about her appointment was making her mind race and she couldn't keep her eyes closed long enough for sleep to even be an option.

Reaching down, under her bed she pulled up her sketchpad and balanced it on her knees, reaching back down to pull out her oil pastels. She placed one of the crayons down on the paper and let it wander, instantly she could feel her artist block begin to fade.

Her hand moved so fluently that she didn't even need to think about what she was doing. It all felt so familiar and for a few moments she let go of all the stress that was built up inside her chest.

At first she didn't know what she was drawing, a bunch of lines and curves intertwining between each other and then it all started to form, as she smudged the different colors she was using together.

She was about half way through with the drawing when she heard muffled voices revberateing through the hall and into her room. She noticed Izzy's voice right way but it took her a second to realize that she was talking to Jace.

Taking a deep breath Clary decided that this was the best time as any to talk to him about the doctor's visit, he was probably going to come asking any, she thought, trying to mentally push herself to go through with it. Pushing aside her sketchbook she threw her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up.

The closer Clary got to the door the more it sounded like Izzy and Jace were arguing, but their voices were too hushed to be able to tell for sure. Peeking out of her doorway she saw their shadows being cast on the wall opposite of Jace's room. Clary gulped down the lump in her throat and slowly and quietly padded her way up the hall.

The door was wide open, so when Clary stopped just outside of the threshold, she got Isabelle's cautious gaze.

"Hey," Clary said stepping further into the light, one arm around her waist, her hand hooked around the opposite elbow. "That's my cue" Izzy said under her breath, but just loud enough for Clary to hear, as she stepped around Jace.

Clary took note of the warning glare Izzy was shooting her, and the way Jace stood more erect when she spoke, but she was seriously confused as to what was going on.

When Isabelle slipped past her, Clary followed her with her eyes momentarily before turning back to Jace, who was still facing away from her. "I just, thought you'd want to talk about today." Clary spoke up stepping farther into the room, Jace moved away from her, shimming out of his jacket and throwing it on his bed.

"Yeah, why don't we do that?" He scoffed, and Clary could sense the sarcasm, making her furrow her eyebrows together, and cross both her arms against her chest.

"Did I miss something? Because last I check I should technically be the one who is pissed because you forgot about-"

Before Clary could finish Jace had whipped around and held his phone out in front of him and held it right in her face. "You want to tell me what the hell this is about?" Jace growled his glare searing through Clary.

It took a second for her eyes to adjust to the small words but she knew instantly what it was about. There were picture of her and Simon everywhere. Picture from school and her birthday, and the day she told Simon about Jace….and today.

Clary snatched the phone out of Jace's hand to get a closer look and felt her cheeks begin to burn from a mix of nerves and guilt. She'd been caught, she didn't even get to tell Jace about Simon herself, he found out from some stupid article. Swearing under breath she sucked in a deep breath and looked up at Jace who had his gaze trained on her, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

"I can explain."

* * *

Yay! you guys liked the last chapter and i was so worried about it!

This next one was actually pretty hard to right because i kept changing things, that's why it took me a little loner to post it.

The reason the Author's note is at the bottom this time is because i didn't want to give away the fact that i put in a little crossover in this chapter. **CHARLOTTE BRANWELL! **If you haven't read Infernal Devices you would have no idea who that is, but for those of you who have...YAY! i loved her so i put her in here.

Anyway, i really hope you like this and sorry about the cliff hanger, but it had to happen. Cause i have so much planned(:

You might want to grab your peanut butter and bread because it's gonna get _Fluff_y next chapter (;

(get it? peanut butter and fluff sandwiches?...i tried.)


	7. Start of Something New

****I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTER NAMES IN THIS STORY THEY BELONG TO CASSONDRA CLARE AND THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES. ALL I OWN IS THE PLOT****

You can all thank my wonderful mother for allowing my access to her computer while she was at work.

This is just going to be a part 2 type of thing so you guys can know what happened already because I know you were dying!_ (sorry about that)_

So I hope you like it. I rewrote this at least three different times on MY computer and then had to rewrite it again today on my mom's so, ya'll better appreciate my hardwork. haha Just kidding.

But I really hope you like it. BE PREPARED FOR FLUFF! _(I know I said that last time, but this chapter had to be short because of my lack of computer.)_

* * *

"I damn well hope you can explain!" Jace growled, snatching the phone back out of Clary's hand. "Do you know how this makes me look?"

"How it makes _you_ look?" Clary exasperated both her eyebrows quirking upwards. "So this really is just a huge ego trip for you then?" She scoffed crossing her arms against her chest.

Jace gritted his teeth and shook his head. "I am not the one at fault here. Do I need to remind you about our arrangement? You are not supposed to leave the house without supervision, let alone go off with some... _guy_"

"Arrangement? Are you kidding me? Our 'arrangement'" She brought her fingers up into air quotes. "Is that I will pretend to be your girlfriend until you can decide what else to do with me. You have no right to be mad at me for trying to contact someone outside of this house." Clary snapped, her hands now settled on her hips.

"So, you're allowed to be mad at me when you though Izzy was my girlfriend, but when I have actual proof that you've been sneaking around with some guy, I'm not allowed to care?" Jace shook his head and scoffed. "You're such a hypocrite!" He grumbled throwing his hands in the air.

"First of all," Clary started, her finger waving through the air in Jace's face. "you are not my boyfriend, you cannot tell me who I can and cannot talk to. Second of all, gross, Simon isn't my _boy_friend. He is my _best_ friend." Clary paused, and Jace opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off. "You keep me locked in this place like I'm some kind of prisoner. I have no one to talk to, and nobody in _my_ life knows about this." She motioned between them and then at her stomach. "But everyone in your life does, don't they?" She stared at him accusingly. Crossing her arms against her chest.

"You have family and friends, and your entire management staff to talk to, I have no one. So yeah, I told Simon, because he has always been there for me, _he_ was there when I first found out I was pregnant, and _he_ was didn't blow me off when I told him the truth about _us,_ and _he_ was there for me today after my doctor's appointment when _you_ weren't." Clary ended by jabbing a finger into Jace's chest, causing him to ball up his fists before uncurling them slowly. Her ponytail was swinging back and forth furiously and her lips were pursed into a straight line.

There was a certain fierceness in her eyes, that made their emerald color seem to darken, and although he hated to admit it, she kind of looked hot when she was mad.

"You know I meant to be there I told you I just f-"

"Forgot. I know." Clary finished for him shaking her head and raking a hand through her hair. "But I don't get to forget Jace. I am reminded every morning when I get sick, and every afternoon when Harriett is lecturing me about vitamins, and every night when I can't fall asleep because of the heartburn." Jace swallowed slowly and tore his gaze away from Clary momentarily.

The pace of this conversation had gone from burning rage to a feeling of guilt for Jace in just a short amount of time, and he felt like an asshole every time Clary started to speak. He thought he was protecting her, he saw what people were saying online and in the magazines, and he didn't want them to have anymore ammunition to tear her down because he-FUCK. He _cared_.

"So yeah." She started up again. "I used Simon as an outlet for all of my frustration." Clary shrugged and her body lifted and fell as she heaved out a sigh.

Jace's chest tightened and he couldn't help but focus on her mouth, the way her lips curved with every word she spoke. How she bit her lip when she was trying to think of what to say, or when she got nervous. It was mesmerizing.

"Maybe we should just be done. You can go back to your life, and I'll go back to mine and we won't have to worry about all of this shit anymore. We can just stop pre-"

Before Clary could finish Jace closed the gap between them. His hand cupping the back of his hand onto the back of her neck, crashing his lips onto hers softly.

He couldn't help it. It was like a giant knot had built up in his chest. His fingers were itching to grab ahold of her, his body was craving the warmth she was radiating and his lips were yearning for the taste of hers. And as soon as their lips met his heart almost burst out of his chest, it was beating so hard.

He could feel her body stiffen in shock, but for after a few seconds she began to relax before gripping his t-shirt in her hands and pushing him away. "W-wh-what the hell?" She stammered clearing her throat.

"It's the only way I could think of to shut you up." Jace muttered with a small smirk.

"Oh wow, such a gentlemen, no wonder they call you the ladies' man." Dropping her hands to her sides and scoffed. "You can't just go around kissing people to make them stop talking there are other ways to-"

Rolling his eyes Jace pulled her back in, snaking an arm around her waist so their bodies were closer. This time there was no hesitation from Clary's end except for when she slowly pulled back to mutter. "I'm still pissed at you"

"Shut up" Jace grumbled back with a smile, his hands traveling to her hips, pulling her into him more.

Clary's hands unhooked from his t-shirt and her arms snaked around his neck, one hand tangling in his hair, the other pressed against the back of his neck.

They stayed that way for what felt like forever. Jace's body was burning, his fingers tingling against the small amount of exposed skin he was touching at Clary's hips.

Clary pressed herself against him harder, lightly tugging at his hair, causing him to let out a low groan, gripping her hips and hoisting her up so her legs were wrapped around his waist.

He turned quickly, so the two of them fell onto Jace's bed.

Clary let out a gasp and Jace pulled away quickly. "Shit." He breathed, looking down at Clary. "I didn't hurt you did I?" He asked glancing down at her stomach briefly before meeting her gaze again. She was breathing heavily and it almost looked like a she was disappointed but the look left her face so quickly Jace couldn't really tell.

"No I'm fine." She sighed, her arms loosening around Jace's neck.

"Ok then," He smiled leaning back down, his lips connecting at the base of her throat, he slowly kissed up her neck, along her jawline, and finally back to her mouth.

Jace felt Clary shudder underneath him and it made him smile against the kiss. It had been way too long since he'd been with someone in this way, and he was craving it. The way his body was tingling, every touch igniting the fire inside of him.

His fingers needed to get onto her skin, the cotton of her t-shirt becoming an unwanted barrier. He played at the hem of the shirt and just as he was about to thrust his whole hand under the fabric Clary's hands came down to his chest and she pushed him away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't-I thought-" Jace stuttered removing his hands and placing them by Clary's head so he could hold himself up over her.

"No it's fine. I just..I don't—we should stop,.." Her voice trailed off, and Jace felt like such and ass because his body was still hot, and he should have known she wouldn't have wanted this.

He let out a ragged breath and rolled off of Clary, falling onto his back. He was about to turn over and say something when he felt the mattress shake underneath him. He turned to Clary and saw her covering her face with her hands.

"Are you ok?" He asked dumbly, obviously she wasn't. "Why are you crying?" He leaned up on his elbow and peeled one hand away from Clary's face.

**XXXXXX**

Clary turned away from Jace and sniffled, great now the waterworks decided to come, instead of a few minutes earlier when they were arguing.

"This is just so messed up" She muttered, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. "Yeah." Jace replied with a harsh breath.

"I should not be having kids, not like this. And you...you should be focusing on your career not some stupid-" She stopped her sentence and let out a low groan, repositioning herself so she was leaning against the headboard. She felt Jace's stare hot on her and it made her extremely uncomfortable. "I just don't think I can do this much longer" She admitted sheepishly looking down at her lap.

"I know this whole situation sucks" Jace said sitting up beside Clary. "But we can't just give up. We have to at least try" Clary looked at him sharply, narrowing her gaze.

"What do you think we have been doing all this time?"

"We've been pretending to like each other." He shrugged. "What if we…like…actually tried?" He asked and Clary could see the blush creeping up into his cheeks and it made her want to smile but she held it back.

"So you want to go on like…real dates and stuff?" She asked quizzically, quirking an eyebrow and sniffling again. Jace replied with a one shoulder shrug.

"If not for us, then…" He paused and his eyes shifted toward Clary's stomach again and it made her shift slightly, "for our…kid." He gulped and looked away, at the mention of the baby Clary remembered the entire reason she had originally shown up at Jace's room that night and her chest tightened making her breath in deeply.

"It's cool if you still want to be done though I guess, I just thought maybe-"

"There is something I need to tell you" Clary said interrupting Jace who just stared at her ponderingly. "What?" He asked.

"The reason I came to talk to you tonight." She just looked at him, willing him to remember but he just stared back with the same expression. "Oh!" He finally said with a nod. "The doctor's appointment."

"Yeah." Clary nodded biting down on her lip. "So...what happened?" Jace asked furrowing his brows and cocking his head to one side.

"Well I went for a checkup" Clary said stating the obvious pulling her knees up to her chest. Jace arched his eyebrows expectantly waiting for her to continue. "And we went over things like, my morning sickness and other symptoms that I might experience…" Her voice trailed off again and Jace nodded slowly. "Ok…and?" He said moving his hands, motioning her to continue.

"And I uh…I got to hear the heartbeats." She said praying that Jace would pick up on the plural sense of the word, but by the way he kept his calmness about him she knew he didn't.

"Really?" He said excitedly smiling, but not for long. When he realized Clary was not smiling back a worried look flooded his face.

"Well is something wrong? You're freaking me out Clary. Just tell me what is going on?"

The way he was freaking out actually made Clary smile a little but she cleared her throat and shook her head. "No.." She started. "_They_ are perfectly fine. The doctor said that the heart_beats _sounded perfectly healthy." She said emphasizing the words this time.

"Oh, well, that's awesome that they are fine, cause I thought-" But then he stopped mid-sentence and Clary knew it sunk in, he wasn't a quick learner was he? She thought to herself.

"They?...as in more than one heartbeat?" He asked looking at Clary with wide eyes. She nodded in return.

"How many?" Jace asked.

"Two" Clary said quietly, tucking a fallen strand of hair behind her ear.

"Two heartbeats" Jace repeated to himself and Clary nodded in return even though he wasn't looking at her.

"Which means two hearts.." He said again.

_Obviously_ Clary wanted to say but she just bit her lip and nodded again.

"Which, unless we have an alien child….that means…two babies." Jace finally said and Clary let out a sharp breathe she didn't realize she was holding in.

"Two babies" He repeated.

Clary reached over and touched her hand to his forearm. "The doctor said that it could be wrong. That the machine picks things up that aren't there all the time. So really it could only be one, it could be wrong." Clary said desperately trying to sound optimistic but inside she knew that it was right.

Clary went to pull her hand away when Jace didn't say anything but he grabbed hold of it before she could. He was just staring at her and Clary could feel the tears start to prick at her eyes again.

Inhaling sharply she squeezed her eyes shut. "God I'm sorry." She rubbed her eyes with her free hand and shook her head. "I'm not usually this girly." She laughed, until she felt Jace's hand cup her cheek, his thumb softly stroking her cheek to wipe away a stray tear.

"I like it" He said softly, One corner of his mouth quirking upward.

"Tonight has been weird" Clary said, earning a chuckle from Jace. "Yeah"

"I should probably go back to my room." She said slowly, as Jace inched his way towards her. "Or you could stay here, I don't want you to have to walk _all_ the way back to your room, for your own good of course." Jace smiled still leaning in closer until Clary could feel his breath hot on her face.

"Oh you are such a gentlemen." Clary teased rolling her eyes playfully. "But.." She said backing away right when Jace was about to go in for a kiss. "I am tired, and you have been working all day so I should let you rest." She smiled and slid off of Jace's bed, hearing him growl under his breath.

"Sure" He replied slowly, crossing his arms behind his head. "I'll see you in the morning." He finished with a wink, making Clary's cheeks burn.

"Mhmm," Clary hummed, stifling a smile. "I'll see you in the morning" She reassured him with a nod as she walked backwards toward the door.

The grin on her face was fighting to come out and she turned away from Jace before he could see it. Slipping out of his room and closing the door behind her she leaned her back against the hallway wall for a few seconds collecting herself.

"Well I see you didn't kill each other." Clary jumped when she heard Isabelle's voice come from a little further down the hall. "Uh…no we have everything worked out. Misunderstanding." Clary nodded biting down on her lip and walking towards her door that was just diagonal from Izzy's.

"Mhmm" Izzy said her arms crossed against her chest an eyebrow quirked up to the roof of her forehead. "Worked it out did ya?" She teased.

"What are you implying Isabelle?" Clary asked standing in front of her door way.

"Oh nothing" Izzy said holding up her hands in front of her. Turning away from Clary she looked over her shoulder before entering the room completely.

"Your lips are a little swollen though" She winked and closed the door behind her, leaving Clary in the hall, red faced and embarrassed.


	8. Awkward

Ok I still don't have my own computer but I stole my mom's from my little brother today to write the next two chapters of this story :D

So if this gets feedback, good or bad, I will post the next chapter very soon!

I have been getting such good reviews that I absolutely love every single one of you! but if you ever have questions about anything or don't like something don't be afraid to tell me. Because I can't get better without a little constructive criticism(:

Ok so one more thing. Lemons/Citrus writing isn't my strongest suit, so just bare with me here. There is a little bit in this chapter, but it isn't too bad, and I don't know if I will go FULL lemon on you guys just because I'm not sure how comfortable I am with that, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

Either way I hope you all enjoy it! (:

****I DO NOT OWN THE NAMES IN THIS STORY. THEY BELONG TO CASSANDRA CLARE AND THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES. I ONLY OWN THE PLOT****

* * *

A few days had passed since the fight and Jace thought him and Clary were actually doing pretty good. They could talk with each other without an argument flaring up, and the amount of times Clary rolled her eyes at him had decreased tremendously.

This morning, Jace was woken up from his phone ringing nonstop. The first time he had decided to ignore it but by number four he figured he should answer.

With a groan he rolled over and slid his phone off of his nightstand and slowly held it to his ear. "Hello?" He croaked groggily. "What is going on?" A gruff voice barked from the other end.

_Michael_. Jace let out an exasperated sigh and cleared his throat. "Well, I just got woken up on my day off, by my manager who seems to be pretty pissed about something I don't know-"

"Cut the shit Jace you know what I mean. You see the article? It's all over the internet." Jace rolled his eyes and sat up so he was leaning against his headboard. "Yeah I saw it." He replied curtly.

"Well what are we going to do? Do we have to pay her more to drop this guy or-"

"They're just friends" It was Jace's turn to interrupt, a bit of annoyance in his voice. "We talked about it a few days ago and she said that they are just friends, practically brother and sister."

"I'm sure she did say that, just like she is saying that this is your kid." Michael said reluctantly.

"You don't know her Michael." Jace grumbled.

"And you do?" Michael retorted and Jace clenched down on his jaw.

"Look, all I'm saying is she has known this boy for a long time, and they looked pretty cozy in those pictures. This might be the thing that could get you off the hook Jace." Jace's body was hot with anger, his mind racing with possibilities. "Just think about it." Michael said finally after Jace fell silent.

"Is that the only reason you called?" Jace asked, aggravated.

He heard Michael sigh from the other end and Jace just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, don't forget to pack for your trip next week. I know how you like to wait until last minute." Michael said trying to sound sincere, but Jace just grumbled a "whatever" and hung up, throwing the phone off to the side, running a tired hand through his hair.

When Jace first found out about Simon it didn't even cross his mind that Clary could have lied about the pregnancy, and he still wouldn't have thought it was true, but Michael planted a seed of doubt in his head and he couldn't shake it out.

Would she lie to him? Did he want out that bad? He didn't think so, but now he felt like everything was getting more complicated, and harder to deal with.

Letting out a low groan he slid back down on his back and covered his face with a pillow, willing himself to fall back asleep, but it never happened.

**XXXXXX**

Clary had been sitting outside on the balcony that over looked a large field, the sun was just starting to go down, and the temperature outside was perfect for an August evening in New York.

Her sketchpad was balanced in her lap and she was hunched over trying to finish the oil pastel drawing she had started a few nights back when she felt a presence behind her.

"How long have you been out here?" A smooth voice asked from the doorway, and Clary looked over her shoulder to smile slightly at Jace. "Not long" She said turning back to focus on her sketchbook.

"Drawing something?" Jace asked leaning over her, his arms coming down on either side of her, being held up by his hands on the arm rests.

"No" She said closing the book hastily, holding it tightly to her chest as she slipped out of the chair.

"Are you ever going to let me see what you draw?" Jace asked with a small laugh, quirking an eyebrow at her.

Clary just shrugged and tilted her head to the side. "Do you need something?" She asked a bit harshly, but Jace didn't seemed bothered he just smiled back at her.

"Yeah, I figured since we have the house to ourselves tonight, that we could just hang out…watch movies or something…" His tone came off questioningly, and kind of like he was nervous for Clay's response.

"Sure." She said with a smile. A look of relief passed over his face and it made Clary's heart flutter a little.

"Ok" He said slowly, pausing, as if to debate on what to say next. "So what is your favorite movie?"

"Harry Potter." Clary said matter-of-factly, without hesitation.

"Well which one? Aren't there like 10?" Jace asked furrowing his eyebrows and snaking his arms against his chest.

Clary stared at him open mouthed. "Ok first of all there are_ eight_ movies." She paused, pursing her lips together. "And second, you cannot simply just pick one favorite out of the Harry Potter series" She said arching both of her eyebrows up. "Have you ever even watched them?" She laughed and crossed her arms against her chest as well.

"I mean I'm pretty sure I've seen the first one." Jace shrugged as if it didn't matter. "The wizard kid with the scar right?"

Clary just laughed. "Yeah, that's the one." She shook her head and rolled her eyes playfully.

"Well we can't watch all seven today." Jace said with a sigh. "So just pick one."

Clary stared at him studiously biting down on the inside of her cheek. "Well I really like Order of the Phoenix but it's the fifth one and you haven't-"

"Perfect" Jace said clapping his hands together a smile on his face. "That's what we'll watch then…" He paused and arched up an eyebrow. "I'm assuming that you have it?" He said teasingly.

"Yes, I do" Clary said proudly, her hands resting on her hips.

Jace laughed and turned to walk back inside, stopping right before he crossed the threshold, look over his shoulder at Clary. "I'll order a pizza, and meet you in the living room in ten.."

Clary replied with a nod and a shy smile, thankful that Jace turned away from her when her cheeks started to burn with redness.

**XXXXXX**

By the time the movie was half way over, the pizza was already gone. Clary and Jace sat next to each other but just close enough so their legs would occasionally touch. Jace was lounged back, his feet up on the coffee table and Clary's knees were pulled up to her chest.

"Oh my god" Jace grumbled under his breath, that was about the third time he had done it already and Clary was ready to snap. "Do you have something to say?" She asked finally turning towards Jace, shooting him a glare.

"I mean, there is so much sexual tension between those two? Why don't they just hook up already and get it over with." He muttered casting a hand toward the screen, and Clary let out a giggle.

"Because, they're best friends and I'm sure they both think it would be awkward if they just 'hooked up'" Clary said, holding her hands up to use air quotes. "God knows it was when Simon and I tried it." She laughed turning back to look at the TV screen. It took a second for her to realize that Jace was still staring at her. And from the corner of her eye she could see that his mouth was slightly agape.

"You and Simon…" His sentence trailed off, but Clary knew what he was asking.

"Tried dating once?" Clary finished for him with a nod. "We've been friends for a while and we thought we'd give it a shot but it was just weird…like kissing my brother." Clary shuddered but Jace's expression didn't waver.

"So you kissed him." Jace said his arms slunk across his chest as he sat up a little bit higher. Clary lifted her brows and narrowed her gaze quizzically. "Yeah." She said slowly, not really sure where this was going.

Jace bit his lip, looked away from her and nodded. "Did you two…ever…" Clary just stared at him waiting for him to finish when it finally hit her. "Are you trying to ask if me and Simon ever slept together?" She asked with a low chuckle, letting her legs slide off the couch, her feet meeting the carpet.

Jace just shrugged, the expression on his face saying 'duh'. Clary sucked in a deep breath and puffed out her cheeks. She contemplated lying, but figured, if they were going to really try, she might as well tell the truth. "Yes." She said blatantly, with an exasperated sigh.

Jace scoffed and his arms pulled tighter against his chest, as he looked away from her, muttering something along the lines of 'I knew it' under his breath.

"It was after a really bad breakup, and both of us were beyond trashed." Clary started, trying to pull Jace's attention back to her. "And right after that is when we tried the whole dating thing…and we both realized that it was awkward and weird and we were better off friends."

She saw Jace's gaze flicker from the TV to her from the corner of his eye and she smiled a little. "And before Simon, I had only slept with one other person." She said matter-of-factly, looking away from Jace and back to the TV.

They sat in silence for a few seconds before Jace spoke up. "Well what happened to him?" He finally asked shifting uncomfortably.

"My brother caught us together and beat the shit out of him." Clary said bluntly with a shrug. She noticed the way Jace gulped and giggled to herself.

"Remind me not to piss off your brother." Jace grumbled and Clary shook her head. "You got his little sister knocked up from a one night stand." She paused and pushed her lips to one side. "I'd say he's pretty pissed off."

"Wonderful." Jace said rolling his eyes. "You could take him." Clary said playfully nudging his shoulder with hers, earning a smile from him. Then Jace did something that Clary was not expecting in the least, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in towards him, her head resting on his chest.

He was really warm and soft, and she could hear the gentle thrumming of his heart against his chest, her legs pulled up beside her and Jace pulled her closer.

They stayed that way for a little bit, Jace's hand tracing circles on Clary's arm, and Clary trying but failing to pay attention to the movie, her body holding back a shiver every time Jace touched her.

"You should meet him sometime." Clary said with a yawn, moving her head a little on Jace's chest. "Simon." She clarified. "I think you two would get along great, he is in a band too ya know." She felt his hand stop tracing circles on her arm immediately, but she needed to say it. She didn't want to live two lives anymore.

"Mhm" Jace hummed and Clary sat up, Jace's arm that was around her shoulders now around her waist. "I'm serious. If we are going to make this work…" She said motioning between them. "You are going to have to meet him, or else we aren't going to get any where." Jace just stared at her, no expression on his face and she grumbled.

"I just don't see the problem? Why don't you like him, you don't even know him? Is it because we dated? Are you jealous or something because if you are you should probably know that-"

Clary was cut off abruptly by Jace crashing his lips onto hers, pulling away just as quickly as he came. "Do you only enjoy kissing me when I'm in the middle of a sentence?" Clary joked, although her tone sounded serious.

Jace just shrugged and smiled, leaning in closer to her so she could feel his breath on her face. "Will you meet him?" Clary whispered, leaning away from him slightly, and Jace pouted like a child. "Do I have to?" He whined furrowing his eyebrows together.

"Do you want to kiss me?" Clary asked flicking an eyebrow upward. Jace nodded vigorously and Clary giggled. "Then yes."

Jace stared at her challengingly and Clary moved farther away, positioning her legs so she was ready to stand up.

"Fine" Jace said right as she was halfway from completely standing, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her back down. "I will meet him." He said, his voice sounding hoarse.

"Promise?" Clary asked, and Jace just rolled his eyes and muttered back "Promise." And that was all Clary needed. She leaned forward and pressed her mouth to his softly pulling away slowly, smiling.

**XXXXXX**

Looking down at Clary as she smiled at him he wanted to smile too but didn't want to give her that much satisfaction. "Shut up," Jace finally muttered back stifling a smile and repositioning their bodies so he was hovering over her.

One of her hands gripped his t-shirt and pulled him down to her, their lips colliding. Her other hand was at the base of his neck, slipping up into his hair. Every time she touched him, it's like something sparked inside of his body, and he couldn't get enough of her.

He held himself up on one elbow, the other hand traveling up and down Clary's body; wandering from her thighs, skimming up her hips, her waist, her chest, cupping the side of her face. She tangled her fingers in his hair pulling lightly, making him release a throaty groan.

Their lips moved in sync, their tongues moving together swiftly, until he detached their lips and pressed his mouth to her throat. Clary shuddered underneath him and his hand swept back down to her hip, his thumb skimming across the skin that was exposed from her shirt riding up.

She tasted so sweet, and fit perfectly against his body. His head was reeling and memories of the first night that they were together, that fateful night, flooded back into his mind. He didn't want it to end, didn't want to stop touching her, kissing her, feeling her against him, so fragile and soft.

His fingertips ran smoothly across the surface of her exposed stomach, and slowly he inched his way up further, unsure of how far Clary had wanted to take this. He didn't want to overstep his boundaries like the last time they were in this position.

But instead of pulling away Clary pulled her knees up and wrapped her legs around Jace's waist, pressing him harder against her, and she sucked in a sharp breath. Jace kissed up her jawline, and back to her mouth smiling against her lips.

**XXXXXX**

Clary's body was on fire. Any part of her that was previously telling her that this was a bad idea was now complying, no questions asked. She wanted this, needed this in fact. Her legs were around his waist, her hands dragging from his neck down to the hem of his shirt, pushing it up further and further until the two of them were forced to detach from one another.

Jace knelt up slightly grabbing his shirt from behind his head, ripping it off his body and throwing it to the side, wasting no time to fall back down to Clary, engulfing her in another passionate kiss.

Clary tried as hard as she could to stifle the groan that was building in her chest, but as Jace's hand traveled further and further up her shirt it was no use.

But all too soon Clary thought, Jace began to slide his hand down away from her chest and her fingers tangled in his hair once again, the other one sliding down his back between his shoulder blades.

His body covered hers perfectly, his warmth radiated onto her skin and made her entire body feel like it was on fire, but at the same time she shivered at his touch.

He pulled back, their faces just centimeters apart. He started to nip at her bottom lightly, ghosting kisses over her neck and the part of her collar bone that was bare. His fingers hooking around the band of her yoga pants, making the fire in Clary's body grow hotter her legs tightening around his waist, a whimper escaping her lips as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Well, well, well…what do we have here?" A voice echoed from the doorway, making Clary's eyes snap open with a gasp.

**XXXXXX**

Jace's head fell defeatedly into the crook of Clary's neck, and he felt her legs go slack and slide off of his waist. "Izzy" He groaned lifting his head slightly. "What do you want?"

"I brought you a surprise" Izzy said with a laugh. And Jace cursed under his breath. He looked down at Clary who was staring up at him with a confused expression, he shook his head in return.

"Well are you two going to untangle yourselves from each other? Or should we give you a few minutes?" _Shit,_ Jace thought to himself biting down on his lip.

"Hey mom."

* * *

_Sorry if the constant POV change is annoying but sometimes I can't write in a certain POV because i'm just feeling the other one...if that makes sense..._

_Don't forget to review(:_

_Thanks for reading!_


	9. The Family

STOP have you read Chapter 8? If not go read it now, because this is kind of like the part 2.

I hope you guys like it, it's longer than what I usually write so I hope you don't mind.

No real plot development just Jace and Clary (:

****I DO NOT OWN THE NAMES JUST THE PLOT. ALL RIGHTS GO TO CASSANDRA CLARE AND THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES****

* * *

Mom?.._mom?!_ Clary's hands flew to her shirt and pulled it down her stomach hastily, pushing Jace up and off of her. She tightened her ponytail quickly before Jace reached over her to click on the lamp that was to her left.

And there she was. Jace's mom, along with Isabelle, a younger looking boy, and a boy that looked to be around Jace's age, who was smiling like an idiot, as if he was holding back a laugh.

Clary felt the heat rise from her stomach, to her chest, and up into her cheeks with embarrassment but all Jace did was laugh. "I thought you weren't coming in until Friday?" Jace said standing up from the couch, his hands slapping against his thighs.

"Well, we thought we would surprise you." Jace's mom said her voice calm, her facial expression showing a hint of disapproval, as she glanced at Clary and then back at Jace.

The boy who stood behind Isabelle let out a laugh. "Surprise!" He said holding up his hands and wiggling his fingers, making Isabelle laugh as well.

Clary looked at Jace quickly who had retrieved his shirt from the floor and was in the process of slipping it back on as Izzy and the boy were still snickering to themselves. "Ok guys, stop." He said shaking his head and smiling like he was holding back a laugh.

He looked over at Clary who just looked away, and stared into her lap, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth. "We'll meet you in the kitchen in a second." He said giving them all a head nod as if to say, 'get out' and luckily they all obliged.

Jace's mom was the last to turn and leave and Clary could feel her gaze hot on the side of her head but she continued to stare at her lap.

"I am so sorry about that." Jace said with a chuckle. How could he be taking this so lightly, did he not realize what his entire family had just walked in on? What if it had been just a few minutes later?

"This is not funny!" Clary yelled in a whisper shoot up from the couch and waking Jace in the shoulder. "Your mom hates me now. She probably thinks I'm just some big hormonal slut." She crossed her arms against her chest and heaved out a heavy sigh.

"She doesn't hate you" Jace said shaking his head and smirking, like he always does.

Clary just rolled her eyes, "Did you not see the way she was looking at me? Like I was just some….some…ugh" Clary growled. "She hates me."

"Babe." Jace said with a chuckle, and Clary's stomach instantly turned into a knot, but it seemed like he didn't realize what he had said. "She doesn't hate you." He cupped the side of her face and swiped his thumb across her cheek soothingly, and Clary tried her hardest not to smile.

"How much does she know?" Clary asked quietly, avoiding Jace's gaze. "Everything." Jace said with a nod, pursing his lips together, his eyes narrowed and he cocked his head to the side slightly. "Is that ok?" He wondered and Clary sucked in a breath and nodded.

"So she knows about…this…" She said motioning to her stomach. Stepping away from Jace so his hands dropped to his sides. "Well, to an extent." Clary looked at him questioningly, her brows arched and furrowed together.

"Nobody knows what you told me the other day." His voice dropped to a kind of whisper and Clary shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "But she knows your…"

"Pregnant." Clary finished for him. And he nodded in return.

They were silent for a little bit, just standing there, the whole thing sinking into Clary even more, making her want to run out the front door the longer she stood there.

"Now let's go, so I can introduce my big hormonal slut to my family." Clary's mouth fell open and she punched Jace in the shoulder, laughing when his hand flew up to it as he grumbled out an 'Ow' before walking ahead of her and out of the living room.

Clary crept behind Jace trying her best to smooth herself out before getting to the kitchen. When they finally got there, the conversation ceased and all four members of Jace's family just stared, a few smirks and snickers echoing through the room.

When Clary looked up however, she was met with the same cool expression from Jace's mother, as she was in the living room. Her arms instinctively snaked across her chest and she bit down on her bottom lip.

"Jace!" The littlest boy said jumping up and down, he looked like he was about ten, maybe eleven, he had dark hair that matched Isabelle's and the older boy's except his was curly.

"Hey Max" Jace said with a chuckled ruffling the child's hair as he came closer, pulling him into a hug. Clary smiled when the little boy looked at her, and was about to say something when Jace cleared his throat and stepped in. _Thank god_ she thought to herself letting out a relieved breath.

"Maryse." He started, which caught Clary off guard. Wasn't she his mom? Why was he calling her by her first name? But when she shot Jace a warning look Jace held his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry, mom." He corrected, making Clary even more confused.

She didn't even notice Jace reaching out for her until it was too late and he was pulling her in front of him. Clary stumbled closer, both of Jace's hands were hooked around her upper arms holding her in place, in front of everyone. "This is Clary." She smiled nervously, just managing to squeak out a "hi" before choking down a cough.

"It's nice to finally meet you." Maryse said with a polite smile. "Thank you, you too" Clary said shyly, her hands wringing together anxiously.

"This is Max." Jace said motioning toward the younger boy who was grinning at Clary now. "You know Izzy." Jace said, obviously, "And that is Alec" Jace said reluctantly pointing to the older boy who was still smirking at the two of them.

"Hi." Clary said softly, nodding her head. Jace's stepped around her and moved toward his mom, leaving her feeling cold and exposed.

"Where is dad?" He asked holding his arms open for a hug and his mom complied eagerly, his body engulfing hers. "He won't be here until Friday, business meetings and all that." Maryse said waving a hand through the air. Jace just nodded, and Clary saw the older boy, Alec, roll his eyes.

"Well, you guys know where your rooms are" Jace said with a shrug. "So make yourselves at home." He held up his arms and dropped them back to his sides.

"Ooo-ooo- Jace, you have to see this new game mom got me. You get to kill vampires and demons and all types of gross stuff." Max said digging in his backpack excitedly.

"Ok bud, I'll meet you in the game room." Jace said with a laugh as Max took off out of the kitchen, Clary watched as he left, a small smile on her face until she turned back around and was gasped in shock when she found Isabelle only inches from her face.

"I expect details." Isabelle said in a hushed voice winking at Clary before walking around her leaving the kitchen as well. Clary felt her face get hot again.

"Alright Jace, you have to be up early so don't stay up to late, and make sure your brother goes to bed at a decent time." Maryse scolded filling up a glass of water and holding it to her lips.

"Don't worry mom, Magnus isn't here to keep Alec company so he won't be up too late tonight." Jace teased immediately receiving a punch in the shoulder from Alec. "She was talking about Max" Alec said through gritted teeth.

"Ow" Jace grumbled punching Alec back. "I was just kidding"

Alec reared back getting ready to hit Jace again when Maryse cleared her throat. "That is enough you two. Jace don't tease your brother, Alec…" She paused and pursed her lips. "When _is_ Magnus going to get here?" She questioned cocking her head to one side.

Clary noticed how Alec's face turned two shades of red and she wondered if that is what she looked like when her face flooded with heat.

"Well Isabelle needs him for her shoot tomorrow so I'm assuming…" His voice trailed off and he just shrugged while Maryse nodded. "Wonderful" She said with a genuine smile.

"Goodnight boys... Clary" Maryse arched her eye brows as she passed and Clary thought she may have caught a wink but chose to overlook it. She looked over her shoulder to watch Maryse exit the kitchen gracefully, and felt her body become engulfed in warmth.

"See she doesn't hate you." Jace said smoothly, wrapping his arms around Clary. "She said like two words to me." Clary said in a childish voice. "Oh now you are just exaggerating" Jace chuckled making Clary smile.

"Jace!" Clary heard Max yell from the foyer and she looked up at him expectantly.

"I have to go play with Max for a little bit…" He said motioning towards the door as Alec exited the kitchen leaving the two of them alone.

"I'm not taking anyone's bedroom am I? Like I won't have to move?" Clary asked wonderingly. Her head curiously tilted to one side.

"No" Jace said shaking his head, his golden hair bouncing slightly. "Not unless of course" he paused and pressed his forehead to Clary's "you'd like to finish what he we started…"

"Seriously?" Clary said, pulling back and looking at Jace in complete disbelief. "What?" He shrugged with a chuckle.

"Do you not remember why what we _started_ was not _finished_ in the first place?" Clary said with a sarcastic laugh. Jace just stared down at her, his hands still at her waist, his thumbs running underneath her shirt making her body heat up.

Jace leaned down to kiss her, his lips covering hers softly, Clary's legs grew weaker every second. She almost got lost in his body heat but she quickly snapped back to reality. Breathing in deeply through her nose she pushed him away roughly "No" she said to him pointing a finger in his face and talking to him like he was a disobeying child. "Don't do that…we aren't doing that" She took a few steps away from Jace and he chuckled, his lips settling in a smirk.

"Fine" he complied holding his hands out in front of him. "Stay in your own room, but I'm just gonna let you know I am an amazing cuddler." He said proudly making Clary snort "I'm sure I will survive" she teased rolling her eyes playfully.

"Many have died trying to resist me Little Red, it isn't recommended" Clary shook her head it had been a long time since she had seen cocky Jace come out, and she had to admit it was a definite turn on, but he wasn't going to win.

"Good thing I'm different than everyone else then" She said with a smile before turning to exit the kitchen. Her body was stuck in between a place of utter euphoria and embarrassment and she was exhausted so she was heading straight for bed.

XXXXXX

"Good thing I'm different than everyone else then" Clary said sassily, before she turned to leave the kitchen, leaving Jace there alone.

"That you are." Jace muttered to himself, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair.

When he walked out of the kitchen Clary had already made it up the steps and, Jace assumed into her room. So he walked through the hall past the living room and towards the game room that was located in the basement. Jace prided himself in this specific room because it was like his own 'man cave'

It had all kinds of gaming counsels, a huge flat screen TV, and half of it was sectioned off as a home gym, and it was where Max spent most of his time when he stayed with Jace. And Max was right where Jace expected him to be, when he bounced off the last step, in front of the TV already too immersed in his game to even notice anyone had come down.

Jace just stood there staring at Max, and if the little boy were to finally look up he'd probably be a little creeped out but Jace didn't care. He was going to have a little Max, maybe two, and that thought made his chest tighten uncomfortably. He pinched his the bridge of his nose between his thumb and pointer finger until he heard someone clear their throat behind him.

He didn't have to turn to know who it was, and she stared speaking before Jace even needed to guess. "Definitely not the welcome I was expecting." Maryse said stepping off the last step and walking up beside Jace, whose arms were crossed against his chest.

"Well, that definitely wasn't the end result of what I was expecting either." Jace said with a laugh, feeling his mom shoot him a glowering look. "So you two are serious then?" She questioned both of her eyebrows arched up, her eyes wide.

Jace just shrugged "We're just taking it slow." He said earning a scoff from Maryse. "That was taking it slow?" She joked shaking her head. Jace just rolled his eyes and shook his head. He didn't want to argue with his mom about this right now.

"You can do whatever you want with her-"

"Clary." Jace corrected. "_Her _name is Clary"

"Ok, you can do whatever you want with _Clary_. Just know that it's only going to get harder for her more so than for yourself. Right now you two are having fun and nobody knows, but she is going to start showing soon, and you're going to have some serious explaining to do, to the media, and your fans and-"

"You think I haven't thought about that?" Jace interrupted lifting his hands and dropping them back down to his sides, finally looking at her full on. "Why do you think I didn't want her leaving the house? People already don't like her. I know how hard it is going to be for her." Maryse was just staring at him studiously.

"She doesn't deserve to have to go through it alone. We both made this mess and now we have to clean it up and figure it out together." Jace said with a shrug.

"I'm just worried for the poor girl, she is way in over her head, and I don't think she realizes it." Maryse said sympathetically, her body rising and falling as she let out a sigh.

"So you don't hate her." Jace said with a laugh and Maryse looked at him curiously.

"Of course I don't hate her? Why would you say that?" She asked furrowing her eyebrows together.

"Clary thinks you hate her" Jace shrugged. "I told her though, there is no way you could hate her. No one could." Jace smiled at the thought of Clary getting upset because she though Maryse hated her, she was cute when she was frustrated.

"You like her?" Maryse asked, throwing Jace completely off guard.

Jace stared at her for a few seconds then shrugged.

"Jace!" Max yelled finally tearing his gaze away from the TV. "Come play!" He said excitedly, holding out another control and waving it in the air. "Duty calls" Jace chuckled, turning back to his mom and smiling. Maryse just rolled her eyes and patted him on the shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow." She sighed reaching up on her tip toes to kiss his cheek.

Jace gave her an awkward one arm hug and pulled away quickly, not wanting to talk about anything anymore. "Are you ready to kill some demons?" Jace asked Max while walking towards him. "Yeah!" Max growled holding his hands in the air, his hands in fists.

Jace sat down beside his brother and glanced over towards the stairs long enough to see his mom shoot him one last look before disappearing into the darkness.

**XXXXXX**

"This says that your baby can bend its arms and legs. And it's like...the size of a grapefruit..." Izzy said looking up at Clary from the book that was in her lap. Clary looked up from her sketchbook and smiled. "Ok?" She said with a laugh.

Maryse had brought Clary a "_What to Expect When You're Expecting_" book two days prior and while Clary was hesitant about reading it, Izzy picked it up immediately and loved informing Clary about all of the things that came along with being almost eleven weeks pregnant.

"Your hormones are going to be running wild" Izzy said waggling her eye brows in Clary's direction and Clary threw a pillow at her. "Shut up." She muttered.

"Are you going to read that whole book?" Clary asked Izzy indignantly. "Yes, because you refuse to, and at least one person in this house needs to be informed about your ever changing body. God knows Jace doesn't read." Izzy refuted and Clary stuck her tongue out childishly.

"Do you know if you and Jace are going to figure out what it is? Like boy or girl? Cause I totally want it to be a girl. Boys are boring." She said with a sigh, looking back down at the book.

Clary and Jace still had yet to inform anyone that she was having twins. Clary wanted to be 100 percent sure and Jace had no problem keeping that information tucked away and not spoken about. "Uh, we haven't really talked about it." Clary shrugged, looking back down at her sketchbook. "Well you might want to get on that, it says that you can find out when you are around like eighteen weeks." Izzy informed Clary.

"Mhmm." Clary hummed back trying to drown her out and focus on her art.

"Find what out?" Jace asked plopping down beside Izzy, peering over her shoulder to see what she was reading as he took a hearty bite out of an apple. Clary looked up at him through her eyelashes and it looked like he was just as immersed in the book as Isabelle.

"What Clary is having," Izzy said shooting Jace an expectant look. "She is having a baby" He said dumbly leaning back into the couch. "I thought you were smarter than that Izzy." He teased shooting her a pretentious smile, making Clary giggle to herself.

"What gender asshole" Isabelle hissed, rolling her eyes. "I personally want a girl, but hey, I'll love it no matter what." Clary looked up at Jace and they shared a knowing look, before Clary tore her gaze away from Jace and back down to the sketch book that was in her lap.

"Whoa" Jace said, looking back over Izzy's shoulder. "It's the size of a grapefruit? Like…in your stomach? How can you not see that?" He asked wonderingly looking from the book, to Clary and then back at the book.

"Right?" Izzy said the same amount of disbelief in her voice.

Clary rolled her eyes and closed the sketchpad standing up from the sofa and leaving the room hastily. She didn't want to talk about the baby that seemed to be reoccurring theme in her head. If she didn't talk about it, it didn't exist, but it did, and she was reminded constantly if not by her own body then it was everyone in the house.

Max asked her if she was growing an alien inside of her stomach because he's seen pictures of babies when they were in the womb and they look like aliens, Maryse and Harriett were constantly on her case about what food she was eating and how many vitamins she was taking, Izzy was always asking her questions, about what it felt like and Jace was always asking if she was ok.

The only one who didn't seem to care was Alec, and Clary assumed that was because his boyfriend had recently shown up and the two of them had been sewn at the hip since he got here.

She just wanted some time to forget, just for a second, and she was not going to get that in the living room with Izzy.

When she was about halfway up the stairs she heard Jace's clunky footsteps echoing behind her. "Hey are you alright." He asked, and Clary just clenched down on her jaw trying to hold back the words that were threatening to come out. It wasn't his fault she was so frustrated all the time. "I'm fine, I just…" She stopped at the top of the stairs and Jace quickly stepped up beside her.

"Yeah." He said with a nod as if he actually understood what she was feeling. "Come on." He said, slipping his hand into hers and pulling her lightly behind him, making his way towards his room.

"Jace.." Clary breathed pretty sure where this was going.

"You are tired, and Izzy will go to your room first to try and find you so I'll hide you in mine." He said answering Clary's unasked question.

Clary smiled and stopped resisting Jace's pull. He opened the door and let Clary go in first closing the door behind her. She wasted no time crawling onto Jace's large bed. It was so much softer than hers and she felt her body begin to relax as she buried her face in one if the pillows.

She peeked up when she felt the other side dip down slowly, and found Jace just a few inches from her face. "Are you sure you're ok?" He asked his forehead creasing in question.

Clary let out a groan and rolled onto her back. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" She grumbled heaving out a heavy sigh. "Because we care" Jace said matter-of-factly, lifting himself up onto one elbow. "Do you not want me to? I thought that you wanted me to take this seriously? I don't know what else to do...just tell me and I'll-"

"Ok!" Clary interrupted resting her hand on his arm, shifting onto her side to face him. "I am so happy that you care, seriously. But sometimes I just...I just want to forget." Clary finally admitted out loud feeling a weight lift off her chest.

"I don't want to think about how pissed my parents are, or how the media will react, or if I'm going to need to start buying bigger clothes soon." she rubbed her eyes and felt Jace tuck some fallen hair behind her ear. "I just want a second to forget. And just be normal...just a second." She sighed.

**XXXXXX**

Jace felt a pang of guilt in chest when Clary spoke. He leaned down slowly and kissed her chastely on the lips. When he was about to pull away her hand cupped the back of his neck. "Your mom isn't here?" Clary asked softly, her other hand traveling up his arm and hooking around his bicep.

Jace shook his head his eyes wide in question, was she insinuating what he thought she was? His body told him to go for it but he didn't want to seem too eager.

She smiled pulled him closer down to her, crashing their lips together once more. His heart was thrumming against his chest and even though his mind was screaming for him not to stop, his body couldn't help but pull away . "Clary…" He whispered his hands on either side of her head holding himself up. "Please." Clary breathed back. "Don't you want this?" She asked slipping her hands down his chest, eyeing him curiously.

"Of course I want this" Jace laughed. "I just don't want you to think that's the only reason I brought you in here." He said one hand brushing the side of her face.

"It's not, I know that" She said finally, wiggling underneath him, her finger tips skimming just under the hem of his shirt. Jace's resistance weakening. "And you're sure that you're….ready?" He asked hesitantly, his eye flicking down to her stomach then back to her face.

"Mhmm…" She hummed sweetly, pushing her hands further up his torso so his shirt was halfway up his body. She strained her neck upwards and kissed his neck, making a flame ignite in the pit of his stomach. _Shit_. He thought as Clary opened her mouth and began to suck on the exposed skin. A low grown escaped his lips and he felt her smile against his throat.

He dipped his head down and connected their lips, kissing her hungrily, lifting his arms one by one so Clary could slip them out of his t-shirt, and only breaking away for a second so he could completely relieve it from his body.

One of Jace's hands wandered down the side of Clary's body lifting one of her legs so it wrapped around his waist and soon the other followed suit. As his hand made its way back up her body it stopped at the bottom of her t-shirt his hands immediately engulfed in warmth as he pressed it against the small of her back.

Clary's hands that were working their way down Jace's back stopped and fell down to the hem of her shirt. She gripped the cloth in her hands quickly ripped the fabric off of her body and Jace's eye widened, Clary's face grew red and she started to cover herself up.

"No." Jace said stopping her, peeling her arms away from her chest. "I just…never noticed how well…endowed you were." His eyes finally tearing away from her chest and back up to Clary's face when she let out a giggle. "I guess we'll put that in the good things about this pregnancy column" She joked

"Definitely" Jace breathed his lips ghosting over her collar bone, neck, jawline, chest, and finally mouth. The hand that was on the small of her back, danced upwards and his fingers unclasped her bra, the straps going slack against her arms, and as she flung it to the side where her shirt was Jace pressed his lips to hers harder, needier this time.

It didn't take long for the rest of their clothing to be expelled from their bodies, their hands roaming everywhere, , mouth, hands, bodies moving and melded together, both of their breathing was heavy and Jace felt like he was going to internally combust, and he was so thankful that no one decided to walk in on them this time.

**XXXXXX**

Clary woke up with the sound of Jace's phone going off, for the third time. She rolled onto her side and looked out the window, the sun had gone down but it still wasn't dark out. She wasn't sure how long she'd actually been asleep. "Jace." She whispered poking him in the side. He was on his stomach, his hands underneath the pillow his face was buried in. He groaned and twitched away from Clary, who let out a giggle.

"Jace." She said again a little louder this time. "Your phone."

"I'm ignoring it." Jace grumbled turning his head so he was facing Clary, his eyes still closed. "It's probably just Michael telling me something I already know"

Clary pursed her lips and shrugged. She ran her fingers along Jace's exposed back, rising and fall with the muscles that were rippled under his skin. "Do you want to find out what it is?" She asked absentmindedly, her fingers drawing random shapes now.

"Hmmm?" Jace hummed questioningly, eyes shut, brows furrowed. "The baby…s…the babies." Clary corrected clearing her throat awkwardly. "Do you want to find out what they are? Cause Izzy said I can in the next few weeks but I didn't know if you wanted to." She said quietly, not noticing when Jace opened his eyes and started staring at her as she focused on her hand on his back.

"Well do you?" He asked finally saying words, Clary stopped moving her fingers against his skin and brought her hand up under her head. "I think I might want to…" She said softly, biting down on her bottom lip.

"Well I think I might want to too." Jace said and Clary smiled. His arms slid out from under his pillow and snaked around Clary's waist, pulling her closer. "I thought you were tired?" She inquired when Jace began leaving open mouthed kissed against her shoulder.

"I'm never too tired to kiss my girlfriend." He said with a smile and Clary's heart stopped in her chest, and she stared at him flabbergasted. "Wh-what…i—is that what-is that what I am…" She stuttered out blinking a few times and Jace just laughed as if it was some kind of joke.

"Do you want it to be?" He asked lifting up so he was on his elbow. Clary smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him down on top of her, his hand found her hip, and squeezed tightly, her fingers tangled in his hair, she figured that was answer enough.

"Damn, I guess I was right about the hormone thing then after all"

"Dammit Izzy get out!" Jace yelled throwing a pillow towards the door, trying to shield Clary's body with his own.

Clary could hear her laughing still when the door closed and she covered her face with her hands "How much longer are they going to be staying here?" Clary grumbled with a laugh.

"Too long" Jace retorted falling onto his back.


	10. Can't We All Just Get Along

Not really sure if i like how this turned out, but I will let you guys be the judge of that! (:

I changed this chapter so many different times its crazy. But I finally decided on this route and I think it really sets up the next chapter.

Like any good story there has to be drama, and you are about to enter soap opera city in the chapter after this. So prepare yourselves (;

****I DO NOT OWN THE NAMES IN THE STORY THEY BELONG TO CASSANDRA CLARE AND THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES****

* * *

"Finally, you're wearing something other than yoga pants and a t-shirt." Magnus exasperated from Clary's bed when she walked into her bedroom.

"They are the only thing that really fits me right now." She said shyly, smoothing her hands down the front of the summer dress she had on. It was navy blue and was blowy at the bottom so it didn't hug her stomach.

"We are going to have to fix that, and fast, I cannot be associated with you if you always look like a bum." Magnus said matter-of-factly, looking back down at the magazine he had on his lap.

"Is he always this charming?" Clary asked Izzy with a scoff, glowering at Magnus.

"Try working with him." Izzy said rolling her eyes and nudging Magnus in the shoulder smiling lightly. "So I like the people I surround myself with to look as amazing as I do, sue me." Magnus joked, and Clary stuck her tongue out at him.

"What is the occasion for any way?" He asked, although Clary didn't think he was really interested from the way his voice droned, and by the way he kept his gaze on the magazine.

"Clary is making Jace meet her ex-boyfriend." Izzy spoke up quickly before Clary could answer.

"No." Clary said indignantly. "I am making Jace meet my _best_ friend…who just so happens to be an ex-boyfriend, but it's a long story and... it doesn't count." Clary said, rambling together the last part, turning away from the pair on her bed and looking at herself in the mirror.

Her eyes were immediately drawn to her stomach. Even though you couldn't really tell through the dress Clary knew she was getting bigger. If she were to wear one of her regular t-shirts it would be extremely apparent that she was pregnant, her usually flat stomach now round and bubble-like.

"Sounds like it's going to be quite a show…" Magnus said with a laugh. "A blood bath is more like it." Izzy added in. "I wish I could watch it."

"You can." Clary spoke up spinning on her heel to face her bed again. "What?" Izzy said with a laugh. "Do you want me to stalk you guys to the restaurant?"

"No" Clary said slowly, she drug her feet along the carpet and crept closer to the bed. "I mean it's going to be super awkward just me Simon and Jace…" She brushed her hand against the comforter before sitting down. Izzy staring at her curiously.

"So if you wanted to come-"

"No." Izzy said quickly. "No. I am not being your scape goat. I am not going on your weird date, thing, with your current boyfriend and now best friend, then boyfriend. Nope. No. I am not going." Izzy said adamantly, and Clary just stared at her eyes dropping sadly, her lips pouting ever so slightly.

**XXXXXX**

"I cannot believe you talked me into going to this thing" Izzy grumbled from the backseat, her arms strung tightly against her chest. "If I have to go to this thing, you have to too." Jace said back, his arm feeling a deep throbbing pain when Clary punched him.

"You told me you wanted to do this!" Clary squeaked looking at Jace her brows furrowed.

"No, I do. I totally want to. Don't worry babe." Jace said reaching over and patting her thigh, smiling at Clary until she turned away to look out the window, then Jace looked into the rearview mirror and saw Izzy smiling cheekily back at him. He knew exactly what she was thinking. Clary had him whipped.

When they pulled up to the restaurant Jace didn't even have time to cut the engine before Clary hopped out of his car and was walking briskly towards the entrance where a tall skinny boy stood.

His arms were spread wide for Clary to fall into a smile from ear to ear on his face. Jace's insides churned as the two of them embraced and it took everything inside of him to not run up to them and rip Clary out of his grasp. "Well this should be fun." Izzy muttered from beside Jace as they stepped up to the embracing pair.

Clary pulled away and took a step back towards Jace. "Jace, Isabelle, this is Simon. Simon this is Jace, and his sister Isabelle." Clary smiled breathing in deeply her shoulders moving up and down as she exhaled.

Jace just stared at Simon intently, and eventually they just ended up giving each other the 'nod' which Simon initiated because Jace sure as hell wasn't going to.

They entered the restaurant in silence, and sat in silence until the waitress came to take their order. Clary sat by Simon, which Jace did not like at all, but Isabelle refused to sit beside him and Jace wasn't going to so he had to deal with it.

When they finally got their drinks and the awkwardness had become absolutely unbearable, Clary finally spoke up. "Simon is in a band." She said cheerily as if this wasn't the absolute worst time any of them were having.

"Huh" Jace huffed but Clary kicked him under the table and he coughed out an "Ow." Looking up into her emerald eyes she was nudging her head toward Simon who seemed pretty interested in the sugar packets that were at the edge of the table.

"What kind of music do you play?" Jace said through clenched teeth, trying to sound like he actually gave a shit.

"All kinds." Simon said curtly and Jace heard Izzy snicker under breath making him clench his hands into fists. Laughing to himself when he saw Clary elbow Simon in the ribs.

"Mostly Alternative." He added, rubbing the spot that Clary speared. "That's kind of what Jace plays, huh Jace…" Clary said looking at him now, one eyebrow quirked.

"Uh yeah, I like to play acoustic." Jace nodded holding back an eye roll, earning a small smile from Clary, which made him feel proud of himself.

Things went on like that for a while, Clary would say something, Simon would answer, and Jace would retaliate with something that was similar. The process didn't change until Isabelle finally spoke up. "I have to use the restroom." She said motioning for Jace to scoot out of the booth, and he eagerly complied, and Clary instantly followed suit, standing up from the booth.

"Where are you going?" "You're going too?" Jace and Simon said in the same breath, shooting each other glowering looks before looking back at Clary.

"Uh, yeah. Girls don't go to the bathroom by themselves?" Izzy said looking at Jace as if he was dumb. "It's girl code." She said with a scoff and quick roll of the eye.

Clary shrugged and smiled innocently. "I can't argue with girl code." She giggled before turning to follow Izzy.

Jace heard Simon mumbling under his breath and it just made the whole situation worse. If he had something to say he should just say it out loud instead of being a child about it. Jace wrapped the wrapper from his straw around his finger again and again until it finally ripped from wear.

And soon the food was coming and the girls still weren't back.

"Great." Jace muttered as the waitress came closer, smiling cheekily at him, and he politely smiled back pressing his tongue against his cheek.

Jace was used to the attention he got from females, and before, he even enjoyed it, it got him what he wanted, but now, he had Clary so it all seemed childish and desperate to him.

Simon must've noticed how the waitress leaned over Jace, brushing against him on her way back from placing Izzy's plate to his right, because he could him scoff under his breath.

"Thank you" Jace said with a smile when all the plates were dispensed. "No problem." the waitress said coolly, lingering for a few seconds longer than needed, Jace just stared down at his plate until she slowly walked away, laughing to himself.

When he looked up he saw Simon reaching towards Clary's cheeseburger and the words came out before he could stop them. "What are you doing?"

"Clary doesn't like pickles…" He said without stopping his movement.

"No it's fine, she wants them on there trust me." Jace said with a laugh looking back down at his plate ready to take the first bite. "No she doesn't, she's never liked them." Simon said insistently, making Jace clench his Jace tightly and look back up.

"Dude, seriously she wants them on there, trust me I know, I am her boyfriend and-"

"Yeah, you are her _boyfriend_." Simon interrupted finally dropping his hand away from Clary's food, his gaze hot on Jace now, which made Jace feel uncomfortable. "And you've known her for, what….two…three months?"

Narrowing his gaze Jace chewed the inside of his cheek cocking his head to the side. "What does this have to do with-"

"I have known Clary almost my entire life. We met the way most decent people meet, which doesn't include a bottle of tequila and a hotel room." Simon's words came out like venom and Jace's hands clenched into fists under the table, his chest tightening with anger.

"I am the one who has been there for her, through most of _this_, and the rest of the shit she has had to deal with in her life, _not you_. So don't try and act like you know everything about her." Simon finished reaching back towards Clary's plate as if he expected Jace not to speak up.

"Ok, you've known her longer, and the way we met isn't exactly ideal, but I _am_ her boyfriend, and I _have_ been living with her for the past two months, and in the past week, she has sent me to the grocery store three times to get her pickles because it's what she is craving, because she is pregnant with _my_ kids. So you might know more about Clary in the long run, but I know for a damn fact that she wants those pickles on her cheeseburger." Jace said his voice rising, causing a few people looking at them curiously, his gaze never wavering from Simon whose hand had since fallen to his side again, his mouth slightly agape.

Jace sat back in the booth and snaked his arms against his chest, feeling satisfied on the inside but not showing it, no matter how badly the grin was fighting to form on his mouth.

And almost as if on cue Isabelle and Clary both emerged from the around the corner that led to the bathroom. "Oh good foods here." Izzy said clapping her hands together, and Jace stood up so she could slide into the booth.

Clary slipped in the same time Jace sat back down and her eyes widened in hunger. "Mmmm" She hummed reaching directly for the pickles Simon picked off of her burger and popping one in her mouth, and Jace didn't even try to hide his smile this time.

He could feel Simon glowering at him from across the table but he didn't care, he was right, and that was all that matters.

**XXXXXX **

**(just a little look into what happened in the bathroom, not all that important)**

Clary followed Isabelle into the bathroom reluctantly, knowing exactly what this was for.

When the bathroom door swung closed on its hinges Clary let out a strained sigh. "That bad?" She said, her shoulders slumping, a feeling of guilt residing in her stomach.

"No..." Izzy tried using a sweet tone but it didn't suit her, it just made Clary feel worse, pitied almost.

"Oh come on Izzy, you didn't even take a sip of your drink I know you don't really have to use the bathroom." Clary crossed her arms against her chest. "Why did you bring me in here?"

Izzy exhaled deeply and leaned against the counter of the sink. "Because they are being childish and I'm sick of watching you struggle to get them to speak." Izzy shrugged and Clary smiled.

"Aw, you care about me" She said scrunching up her face and poking Izzy in the arm.

"Oh shut up." Izzy laughed "They both have stuff to get off their alpha male chests, and they are going to say what they need to say, no matter how long we have to stay in here." Izzy demanded, peeking out the door, and then turning back to Clary, who put her hand over her grumbling stomach.

"Can it be soon? Because I'm starving." She said with a pout and Izzy rolled her eyes, opening the bathroom door slightly taking another peek.

"He's pretty cute" Izzy said, her back still turned to Clary and Clary reached up on her tip-toes to see who Izzy was talking about.

"Who? I don't see anyone?" She said falling back onto her heels.

"Your friend" Izzy clarified and Clary's mouth fell open. "Simon?...my Simon? You think…you…think Simon is cute?" Clary stuttered.

"What?" Izzy said looking over her shoulder at Clary. "Am I not allowed to?" She questioned one hand on her hip, her head cocked to the side, sass dripping from her voice.

"No you can." Clary nodded and then snorted. "But you're…you. And Simon is…." Her voice trailed and turned away to look back out the door. "Cute." She finished for Clary and Clary shuddered, shaking her head and making a face Izzy couldn't see.

**XXXXXX**

Jace thought that the day was never going to end, and as if sitting through an awkward, jealousy filled lunch wasn't bad enough, Clary invited Simon back to Jace's house to hang out for a little bit.

_Jace looked pleadingly at Isabelle, silently begging her to help him out but she just cast him a smile. "I think it sounds like a great idea!" She said enthusiastically shooting Jace a wink._

_There was nothing he could do now. When he looked back at Clary she was staring at him, as if to challenge him to go against her, which he wouldn't do because when she got angry these days, everyone suffered, especially Jace. "I mean if he wants to" Jace grimmiced with a shrug pushing around the last few fries on his plate._

_When he looked up he saw Clary giving Simon the same exact look and he actually kind of felt bad for him. Simon didn't want to be around Jace as much as Jace didn't want to be around him but they both had to compromise for Clary. "Sure...I guess" Simon said in a breath and Clary clapped excitedly, while Isabelle laughing maliciously in Jace's ear._

Now Jace was in the kitchen waiting for the popcorn that Clary requested to finish up, his back leaned up against the counter, arms snaked across his chest.  
He was so mad when they got home because Clary invited Simon over, that he extended the invitation to Isabelle, Max, Magnus, and Alec, he even went as far as asking his parents, but they had their own date night planned.

He knew it was childish and it probably wouldn't even phase Clary but he wasn't going to sit in a room with that..._kid_, for lack of a better word,... all night trying to win Clary's attention from him, and watch Simon try and do the same.

Jace was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Clary slip into the kitchen until she was close enough to wrap her arms around him waist.  
His arms dropped to his sides before wrapping around her as well, her cheek pressed against his chest. "Thank you" She murmured against his shirt, her breathing soaking into his skin.

"For what?" Jace asked looking down at her curiously, his fingers massaging all over her lower back. "For coming with me to lunch, and not being mean, and saying yes to letting Simon come over even though I know you hate it" Clary sighed looking up at him, her chin now resting on his chest.

He smiled and bent down to kiss her quickly on the lips. "And if you're really nice, I might even have a reward for you later." Clary said waggling her eyebrows, her hands moving up Jace's back slowly, and his smile widened. "Oh really?" He queried, his hands moving from her back to her hips pulling her closer to him, his body sparking with electricity.

"Mhmmm." Clary hummed leaning up on her tip toes to place a soft kiss against Jace's neck, her lips working up to his mouth, as her fingers snuck down to the waist band of his jeans, dipping into the fabric just enough for Jace's body to respond with such force that it was painful for him. He groaned against her mouth as she pulled him closer to her by his belt, his hands moved to her thighs and he picked her up, spinning her around so she sat on the kitchen island.

"I might need to collect that reward a little early." Jace mumbled into her collarbone, as he left sloppy kisses on her skin. He felt her body shiver and she pushed him away with one hand. "Ah, ah ah." She said waving a finger in his face. "You have to be a good boy first" She playfully scolded, and it took everything inside of Jace not to crash his lips against hers again, "Please..." He whined, his hands gripped onto the counter on either sides of her legs.

Just then the microwave beeped and Clary peered over Jace's shoulder. "Popcorn time!" She cheered in a sing-songy voice pushing Jace further away and jumping down off the marble counter top. "You are gonna be the death of me." Jace grumbled as he poured the contents of the bag into a bowl for Clary, handing it to her.  
She smiled and winked popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth.

Jace walked behind Clary out of the kitchen, occasionally pinching at her sides to make her squirm and giggle, picking up her pace to get to the living room. She stopped in the doorway and Jace took that as an opportunity to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her closer, but as he did so the popcorn bowl fell to the ground with a loud thud, its contents spilling everywhere.  
Jace chuckled for a second but took notice in the way Clary's body had gone rigid. He followed her gaze, to the TV and instantly felt his stomach knot up.

_"-Jace Herondale and his new leading lady, Clary Morgenstern, seem to be moving pretty fast._  
_Just a couple months ago Jace was confirming the pairs relationship and now it seems there may be more to the story._  
_The two were spotted out today, with Jace's sister, international model Isabelle Lightwood, and what looks to be her new beau, getting their grub on, on a double date. _  
_Though as much as they tried to hide it, the evidence of a baby bump seemed apparent to our sources. _  
_Do we have a tiny Heartthrob Herondale on the way? We'll have more on this tonight, on E! News."_

**XXXXXX**

"I am not her boyfriend." Clary heard Simon grumble and Isabelle glowered at him. "You say it with such disgust?" She scoffed flicking her long shiny black hair over her shoulder. "You would be the luckiest guy alive, to be able to get with all of this." She said motioning her hands up and down her body.

"Yeah, guys...I don't think that is our biggest problem right now." Alec said, in what he probably thought was a whisper as he nudged his head toward Clary who was still standing shocked in the doorway. She could feel Jace's hands on her, and everyone's eyes on her, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from the TV.

She thought she would have more time to tell her parents. She didn't want them finding out this way. She didn't want anyone finding out this way...or finding out at all. "Clary..." She heard Jace say over and over again until she snapped out of it. Simon was standing now staring at her with a concerned look on his face. Jace was in front of her blocking her eyes from the TV. "I'm fine." She finally said taking a step away from everything.

"Clary you have to tell your parents now." Was the first thing Simon said, of course he said that right now, of course he was thinking about what was right and not what was easy.

"Seriously? You're going to pester her about her parents right now?" Jace shot standing up straighter and turning towards Simon. "She needs to tell them before they find out about this, like they did when you two started "dating"" Simon said using air quotes and rolling his eyes. "It's the responsible thing to do."

"Yeah well screw responsible, she needs a second to breath" Jace said in Clary's defense and she was relieved that he didn't agree with Simon, because the truth is that she did need to tell her parents, she was just scared.

"I think she has had plenty of time to 'breath', you guys have to stop acting like children because in a few months you're going to have to raise two of them" Simon shot back and Clary snapped her head to head to face him, her eyes narrowed.

A burst of "Simon!" "Dude" "What?" and "Twins?" were said in the same breath by Clary, Jace, Alec, and Izzy, and Clary saw Simon's face heat up, and it softened a little. "They didn't know..." He said his eyes fixed on Clary now, and she shook her head. "No." She muttered.

Magnus let out a chortle and slapped his hands onto his knees. "Well, this is better than reality television, at least I know this drama isn't scripted." He joked and Alec shot him a disapproving look that shut him up right away.

"How could you not tell us?" Izzy squealed her voice going so high that Clary couldn't tell whether she was pissed off or super excited, Jace muttered something inaudible under his breath and Clary shrugged, she didn't even care right now that Simon had spilled that secret because no matter how mad Izzy got, that was nothing compared to the wrath she was bound to get from her father.

"We can wait if you want, you don't have to tell them right now." Jace said softly, clasping her hand in his tightly. Clary didn't know what she wanted though. So may things ran through her mind, she wanted to run away and forget everything, but she also wanted to finally tell her parents and get it over with because it was inevitable that they were going to find out.

Simon was right, she needed to be an adult and tell them already, before they found out from the media. She needed to do it already, what was the worst that could happen? Her father would disown her? She already hated being a part of that family so that really wasn't all that bad of an end result.  
She sucked in a deep breath and stood straighter "No I have to do this." She said solemnly and she saw a slight hint of smile radiate of Simon's mouth as Jace grimaced.

"I'll be right here." Simon said supportively and Jace's hand gripped Clary's tighter as if he was holding back something to say. "_I'll_ be right here." He repeated more defensively leaning down to kiss Clary on the cheek.

"Ok that is enough" Alec spoke up finally, clearly annoyed by the whole situation. "Isabelle go with Clary so she has someone with her when she calls her parents, and you two..." he paused and pursed his lips momentarily as if he was trying to collect himself.

Clary never really heard what Alec was getting ready to say because Izzy pulled her out of the living room before he opened his mouth again. Although the sound of muffled voices reverberated through the foyer and out onto the balcony. The sun had gone down and the stars were coming out, it was beautiful but Clary didn't appreciate it as she normally would.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you." She mutterd sitting down onto one of the whicker benches.

"Oh don't worry, I was just...shocked." Izzy laughed but Clary stayed silent and unwavering. "Do you want to call them now? Or just wait? Because I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want." Izzy said reassuringly, which only made Clary feel worse, she hated being pitied and treated like she was some fragile doll, and that's the only way people were treating her these days.

"No I'll do it now, get it out of the way.." Clary said softly. "Do you have your phone?" She asked Izzy who pulled her sleek black iPhone out of her pocket immediately. "Thanks." Clary muttered, inhaling a deep breath before pressing the pads of her thumbs onto the touch screen.

Her heart started to beat faster when the ring echoed through her ears and she swore it stopped in her chest when the familiar gruff voice droned through the speaker. "Hey dad." She said nervously, Izzy's hand patted her thigh, and then she was alone. "Is mom around?"

**XXXXXX**

Jace slumped his shoulders when Alec started lecturing them about how they were acting. "You two.." He said again when Clary and Izzy left the room. "Need to get over whatever animosity you hold toward each other and grow the hell up!" Jace and Simon were now standing side by side with a significant amount of distance still between them.

"You." Alec said pointing to Simon. "Need to understand that Clary is extremely fragile right now, I know she tries to act tough like non of this phases her, and I know you think you know what's best for her but you don't. None of us do. We don't know how she is feeling, unless she tells someone, which she rarely does, so just let her figure things out on her own, you aren't her mother." Alec grumbled, and Jace snickered under his breath.

"And you." Alec glowered at Jace, the smile instantly falling off his face. "You need to grow up. Stop acting like a child trying to win the attention of their third grade teacher. You and Clary are together so quit acting like she is going to leave you for _him_." Alec pointed his finger toward Simon and Jace couldn't help but look at him from the corner of his eye.

"He started it." Jace blurted out aware of just how childish it sounded. "Yeah well since mom and dad aren't here right now, I'm ending it." Alec scolded crossing his arms against his chest. "And for the love of God, will both of you stop trying to one up each other? The reason we are all here is for Clary, not to fight about whose manhood is bigger." Alec concluded, looking between Jace and Simon.

"Well I think we all know who would win that..." Magnus spoke up from one of the couches and Jace couldn't help but laugh, making Alec throw his hands in the air and plop down beside his boyfriend.

"She told you about us being together, didn't she?" Simon finally said not looking at Jace at first but then turning his whole body so they were facing one another. Jace shrugged and snaked his arms across his chest. "She did tell you that we weren't in love or anything right? It was just a mistake from one drunken night." Simon said widening his eyes and lifting his brows in curiosity.

"Huh." Jace scoffed. "Funny how _earlier_ you were calling me out because of something pretty similar to that." Jace said, cocking his head to the side. "Not so fun from the other side is it?"

"The only difference is that I knew her before hand, and I didn't get her knocked up." Simon spat defensively. Jace just laughed, he was angry, this whole situation made him angry. He already felt bad for what he did to Clary, how he ruined her life, he didn't need some little shit head, reminding him.

"Why do I even speak?" Jace heard Alec mumble and then Magnus said something. but he spoke to softly for Jace to hear him.

"I don't like you." Jace said matter-of-factly, with a shrug. "But, for some reason," He paused and eyed Simon up and down. "Clary does. I won't argue with her when she invites you over, or when she wants to go on stupid little lunch dates like today. Because she is important to me, and she has to go through enough shit with me as it is. We don't need to talk, or even acknowledge each other's existence when Clary is not around but we are going to have to act civil toward each other for her."

"That's exactly what I just said, you just worded it differently!" Alec whined and Magnus shut him up again. Simon just nodded and held his hand out for Jace to take. "Deal." Jace thought about ignoring him and walking away, but that probably would have made matters worse so Jace clapped his hand into Simon's.

When they unclasped Jace took a step back and Simon shoved his hands into his pockets. "You can wait for Clary down here, and leave whenever you see fit, but I am going to wait upstairs. Alone." Jace droned turning on his heel and heading for the door, right before crossing the threshold he turned to look over his shoulder.

"Oh and by the way stay away from Izzy." Simon cast him a confused look. "I saw the way she was looking at you today. So just stay away from her." And with that he was out of the room.

**XXXXXX**

It took thirty five minutes for Clary to tell her parents and it took her by surprise the amount of calm that came from the other end. Her dad didn't yell, her mother stayed silent. Luckily Jonathan wasn't there or else there was sure to be some yelling, and threatening. Her mom insisted that they see each other so Clary invited them to the picnic that Jace's family was having next weekend, she needed that week to ready herself.

They complied, somewhat gladly, and then that was it. There was no scolding, no talk of being a disappointment, and that scared Clary the most. Simon was still downstairs with Alec Izzy, and Magnus when she came back inside. After explaining to Simon what happened she told him it would probably be best if he just left, but that she would call him in the morning. She figured Jace was in his weight room, which was where he always was when Clary couldn't find him so that's the first place she went to look.

She was right of course, he was benching pressing, God only knows how much weight, when she walked in and stood in the doorway. He couldn't hear her, his headphones were in, so she walked further into the room stopping just in front of the weight bench, her arms slung loosely around her mid section. When he finally did notice her he shot right up, pulling the headphones out of his ears.

"I thought you'd be hanging out with Simon.." Jace said, chocking out Simon's name and Clary shook her head, he was shirtless, which was not a bad thing in her book, and his body was glistening with sweat.

"He told me what you said." Clary said shyly, smiling at Jace, looking up at him through her eyelashes, he was wiping his face off with a towel, when he suddenly stopped. "I'm important to you?" She asked, and Jace nodded dumbly, and Clary's stomach fluttered. "Well...you're important to me too." She giggled flirtatiously.

Jace slid to the edge of the bench and pulled her closer to him, Clary bent down and immediately connected their lips. She needed this right now. She needed some way to release all of the tension on her body, to forget about everything and everyone for a few minutes and this is the only thing that helped. So she pressed into Jace harder, slipping her tongue along his bottom lip, her fingers tangled in his golden hair, his body responding in all of the right ways.

"Clary what about your parents?" Jace said pulling away from her and she let out a groan. "I don't want to talk about it." She grumbled connecting their lips again, and Jace gladly complied.

His long fingers were dipping into her yoga pants and she let out a whimper. "Bedroom?" She sputtered, her heat thrumming against her chest.

"Too far" Jace growled standing up, grabbing her hand and walking briskly out of the weight room, he took a left and soon they were in the game room, Clary smiled and picked up the pace to follow Jace to the couch.


	11. Wounds to Heal

Whoa this one is super long, sorry about that, but there was just so much I needed to put it in it so I hope I didn't disappoint!  
I told you there would be some drama and BAM there you go, haha.

I realize I haven't really kept you up to date with where Clary is at right now so she is 13 almost 14 weeks, and it's August in the story. So if you have any more questions about that just let me know and I'll be happy to tell you.

Also, if you'd like to know what Jace's house looks like I will be putting a link to a website where I saved pictures of what I am pictureing when I talk about his house...so yeah, go look at that if you want.

Again I hope you all enjoy this, and I'll be updating soon!

_P.S sorry if there are any spelling/grammatical errors my computer likes to autocorrect me. _

****I DO NOT OWN THE NAMES IN THIS STORY THEY BELONG TO CASSANDRA CLARE AND THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES****

* * *

Jace sat in the back of the video set that him and his band just got done shooting on for the first single off his up coming album. Him and Sebastian, his drummer, raided the kraft service table and were finally filling up their stomachs after being held back from it for over eight hours.

Sebastian was Jace's closest friend in and out of the band, but lately, with the whole Clary thing going on, Jace had put their friendship on the back burner.

"So you and this chick are pretty serious now, huh?" Sebastian finally said, his mouth full of bread, and turkey and lettuce. "Clary." Jace corrected with a nod, gulping down the food that was in his mouth. "And this whole, baby bump watch thing...?" Sebastian questioned quirking an eyebrow. And Jace adverted his gaze down to his lunch. "Dude..." Sebastian said, getting the picture and slowly shaking his head, a subtle laugh falling from his lips, and Jace stayed silent.

He was glad that Sebastian didn't need details, right now at least, he didn't really feel like explaining. "How does she feel about the tour?" Sebastian asked stuffing more of his sandwich into his mouth. "She doesn't know yet." Jace said with a shrug. "We have this stupid picnic thing that she is all stressed about this weekend, so I'm waiting..." He explained as if that made it any better.

His album was coming out in a week, which meant a big tour along with album promotion in other countries. Him and his band would be on a promotion tour for a month, and then immediately after they'd be going on a three month tour across America and a few stops in Europe. He knew Clary would be pissed, upset, and frustrated with him so he was doing everything he could to make her happy, and to put off tell her.

"You're scared." Sebastian said with a laugh. "Am not" Jace said back defensively, even though on the inside he knew it was true. Sebastian just rolled his eyes. "Where do you have to go after this?" He asked and Jace groaned in response. "Back to the studio for an acoustic version of _Dust, _then I have a dinner interview with Glamour, and one last meeting with the suits. Then I start all over in the morning." He grumbled finishing off the last bit of his sandwich.

"Damn, pre-tour sucks." Sebastian scoffed leaning back in his chair, his arms snaked around his chest. "You're telling me." Jace agreed with a nod, running a tired hand over his face. "Jace!" Michael's voice rang out, echoing through the backstage set, and Jace knew his cue. "Alright I'll see you around Seb." Jace said standing up along with his friend. "Yeah, totally." Sebastian replied. The two pulling each other into a half handshake half hug.

"You're coming to the party this weekend right?" Jace asked as they parted from each other. "Wouldn't miss that show for the world" Sebastian joked, something always went down at the Lightwood family picnic, and there was sure to be some juicy drama this year.

Jace just laughed and shook his head. "Alright see you around he said turning away from Sebastian, feeling alright for once in a great while, until Michael tapped his finer against his watch signaling that Jace was running late, and he was pulled back into the fast paced world that was his life.

**XXXXXX**

Clary was finally allowed to have her computer back after months of pestering Jace, after he took it from her when she first moved in, and as she scowered through her unattended social media sites, she quickly found out why he'd forbidden her from getting onto it. To protect her.

First she was greeted with 407 notifications on her FaceBook, three quarters of them friend requests from people she didn't even know, the rest from the people on her Friend's List, trying to message her to get them tickets to one of Jace's shows.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg, as soon as she logged onto her Twitter, her mentions were off the chain. She had 14,756 followers, which may not seem like much but when she was last on it she only had 101. She debated for a quick second whether she should read some of the stuff posted about her, but she figured what the heck, people couldn't be that mean right?...She was wrong.

The amount of hate people had for her, made Clary sick to her stomach, and apparently the new pregnancy, 'rumors' were only making it worse. Sure there were a lot of people at her defense, people with pictures of her and Jace as their icons. But some of these people were just plain nasty. They used every term in the book to describe Clary, not holding back on the red-headed jokes which really just showed how unoriginal, and desperate they were to tear her down.

A few of them called her ugly, said she was a rich daddy's girl who didn't work for her money, and a lot of them loved to call her a bitch. But the ones that cut Clary down the most were the ones called her a 'tramp', 'whore', 'slut'..etc. She knew she shouldn't be getting worked up over what some thirteen year old obsessed fan says about her, but it made it worse when Clary actually felt that way.

Her vision started to blur and her throat was burning from the tears she was holding back, but that didn't seem to stop her from scrolling further and further down the page. It was finally when someone posted an entire blog post about how much they hated her, listing off several reasons why, that she slammed her laptop closed and pushed it off of her lap aggressively, curling her legs up to her chest.

It was only going to get worse, the farther along she got, and that scared the shit out her, but she didn't want anyone to know that, so she wiped away the fallen tears with the back of her hand and breathed in and out deeply to calm herself down. She wouldn't let anyone know how affected by their words she was, because she didn't want Jace feeling any worse about this than he already was.

She stood up from Jace's bed and willed herself to hold it together, she couldn't break down, that would cause Isabelle to go into panic mode and that wasn't something Clary was prepared for, because if Isabelle lost it, so would Clary. So she straitened herself up, checked her face in the vanity mirror that was across the room and made her way downstairs. The only way for her to be ok was to surround herself with people, even if those people were just Jace's family.

**XXXXXX**

Jace was exhausted when he got home.

_New York City in the mid after noon was like a breeding ground for teenage fangirls. The amount of autographs and pictures he had to dispense that day was overwhelming, his hand was cramped up and his face physically hurt from smiling, so when he got to his interview with Glamour, he made sure that Michael told them Clary was off-limits, the interview was strictly music and nothing else or he would be sure to get up and leave._

_Luckily, the journalist complied, although reluctant, but Jace didn't care, and didn't want Clary under any more pressure than she needed to be right now. After the hour long interview Jace's head felt like it was ready to explode and he still had meetings with management to attend._

_He lit up his last cigarette and inhaled deeply letting the smoke resinate in his lungs before coughing out a breath. "You're going to ruin your vocal cords with that shit." Michael grumbled from beside Jace as they walked down the sidewalk to the car, and Jace just rolled his eyes, taking another long drag._

_"Just one last meeting tonight and then tomorrow is a big day." Michael started, as they climbed into the back of a black SUV. He told the driver where to go, while Jace sat silent finishing off his smoke and flicking it out the window, wishing he had another, his anxiety was up a lot more lately, and the only word to describe it was shitty._

_"In the morning you're playing the Today show, then we have to stop over at Z100 and there will be a few contest winners there for a private show and meet and greet, and then band rehearsals. We have to get you guys warmed up again, shake the rust off of ya." Michael joked and Jace forced a smile. This was his dream, he loved every second of it, but the thought of still having to tell Clary about the tour was eating at him, from the inside out. _

_The meeting with the record label exec.s went just the way Jace thought, they talked about tour, the album release date, and merchandise. Jace nodded his head, not really listening to a word being said because he'd heard it all before._

Michael dropped him off at home and a small sense of relief washed over him, he just wanted to go to bed, preferably next to Clary so he could soak in her warmth and forget about all of the stress he was about to endure the next few months, but when he walked upstairs to his room she wasn't there.

Usually she went to bed around eight because she'd been so tired lately, so he checked her room, but she wasn't there either. He walked around the house aimlessly looking for her, and was about to give up and just go to bed when he heard her voice echoing up the stairway from the basement.

Slowly Jace crept down the stairwell and stopped just far enough up the steps to be able to peek into the room. "You beat me again!" She said with a laugh, throwing her hands in the air and Max smiled triumphantly. "Don't worry Clary, it even took Jace a while to be able to almost beat me." He said cheekily and Clary pushed him lightly in the shoulder.

"One more round, I'm feeling lucky." She challenged waggling her eyebrows and Max shrugged. "It's your funeral." He teased pressing down on his controller to start the game.  
Jace took that as his cue to leave them be. He was tired and if he went down there Max would make him stay up for hours on end, playing that game with him, he almost felt bad for pawning Max off on Clary but _hey_, she initiated it.

When he reached his bedroom he fell onto his soft bed, the comforters ruffling around him. He contemplated just sleeping in his clothes but opted not to. He quickly kicked off his jeans, and pulled his shirt off, his ceiling fan blowing a cool breeze down onto him so he could comfortably snuggle into his comforter. He closed his eyes but his mind wouldn't stop running.

He was under so much pressure from the label to promote the album, and from his parents about Clary, and from Clary about her pregnancy, and his band about the tour, and the media about his entire god damn life, that he felt like he was going to spontaneously combust.

He squeezed his eyes shut trying everything to get his head to shut up, but what only felt like only minutes later, the other side of his bed dipped and he heard Clary stifle a groan as she slowly fell back onto the mattress.

He knew he could've rolled over to show her he was, in fact, awake, but didn't really feel like talking so he held his breath and closed his eyes and hoped that she would just assume he was asleep and fall into place beside him. And after whispering his name three times she gave up, and Jace felt her shift, probably onto her other side, her back facing him and soon her soft snores were the only thing audible in the room, lulling him back into his dreamless sleep.

**XXXXXX**

For the next few days Clary felt like Jace was being extremely stand-offish and she didn't know why.  
It started with him being gone all day, and then he would wake Clary up to tell her he was home but then fall asleep minutes after inviting her into his room, then he stopped telling her when he got home and went straight to his room. And although she wasn't a hundred percent sure, Clary had a feeling he was fake sleeping whenever she came upstairs.

She tried not to let it get to her, but whenever she tried to talk to him he would grumble something angrily under his breath and they'd get into a fight.  
It happened almost every day for the past week and it was exhausting to have to deal with.  
However last night was the worst one they'd had yet, and the two of them still hadn't spoken to each other about it.

_"Hey, How was your day?" Clary asked when Jace walked into his room late that night. She didn't see him much that morning because he was up early for God knows what, and he hadn't been home all day. "Fine" He answered, shrugging off the thin hoodie he was wearing and dropped it into the hamper. _

_"Izzy and Magnus took me shopping for tomorrow so I had some clothes that actually fit." Clary said lightly, trying to strike up a conversation some how but she quickly realized she should've kept that little tid-bit to her self. "You left the house?" Jace said whirling around angrily, staring at Clary, his gaze narrowed. _

_"Yes, Jace, I left the house, just like I have almost everyday this week and I am still alive." Clary said calmly. She shook her head and let out a sarcastic laugh. "What has your problem been lately?" Clary grumbled looking away from him and focusing back on her laptop. Jace mumbled something under his breath and Clary snapped her head upwards. "What was that?" She asked arching both eyebrows upward, challenging him to say what he was mumbling. _

_"Nothing." He growled reaching behind his head, pulling his shirt off and whipping it towards the hamper as well, but missing this time. _

_"Are you sure? Because everyone has been noticing that you're acting different lately, even Simon said-" Another scoff from Jace as he gritted down on his teeth and Clary felt her body start to heat with anger. "Oh my god Jace, just say what you want to say!" Clary yelled this time, throwing her hands in the air and dropping them back onto the bed. _

_"Of course Simon said something!" Jace yelled back whirling around so his gaze was locked on hers._

_Clary pursed her lips and shook her head. "So we're back to this now?" She questioned and rolled her eyes. "Great" She huffed closing her laptop and sliding it off her lap. _

_"Come on then." She said holding up her arms. "Tell me what this is really about Jace, because we both know it's not just about Simon." She said knowingly. _  
_"Why does it matter?" Jace growled running a hand through his hair and pulling at the ends slightly. "Why are you always in my business? Can't you just leave me alone?" Clary felt like she had been punched in the stomach, she felt her face heat up and looked down at her lap for a second before throwing the blankets off of her legs. _  
_"Leave you alone?" She said with a laugh, standing up slowly, one hand on her hip. "That isn't exactly what you wanted the other day when you were begging me to come in your room so you could fuck me and then fall asleep two minutes later. I'm not your damn handmaid Jace, you either want me or you don't" She said her voice threatening to break but so far she held it together. Her heart was pounding against her chest and she could hear her blood rushing in her ears. _

_"Did Simon tell you to say that?" He asked so calmly that it set Clary over the edge. _

_"Are you kidding me?" She screeched throwing her hands in the air and dropping them back down at her sides, curled into fists. She turned away from him ready to stomp out of his room dramatically when he opened his mouth one more time. _

_"Don't even try to deny it Clary, he is always trying to break us up!" He yelled at her back and she stopped, just after she flung the door open, it came back so quickly after hitting the wall behind it that Clary had to hold out her hand to stop it._

_"No Jace, he isn't. But you're doing a pretty damn good job of that yourself." She spat venomously and then she was gone. She slammed the door behind her, the echo awakening the tears inside her, as they spilled onto her cheeks and she ran to her room, curling herself into a ball on her bed. _

_She didn't sleep much at all that night, and she was vaguely aware of Jace standing in the doorway for a few seconds watching her before leaving without a word. _

There was a few times during the day when Clary thought about going up to him and apologizing, but what for? She did nothing wrong, he was pushing her away and she didn't know why. Well she suspected why but she didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe that he was over her, moved on to the next girl ready to throw herself at him.

She also didn't want to be fighting with Jace the first day she had to come face to face with her parents but it looked like it was going to have to be that way.

But there was no going back now, Clary was in the back yard sitting under an umbrella as Jace's family and friends circled around mingling with each other. Izzy, Alec, Magnus, and Simon all sat with her, none of them knowing what happened the night before, but Jace's absence must've tipped them off because they started to question her about where he was, and Clary just shrugged.

She needed him though, she needed him to tell her it was all going to be ok, because no matter how many times Izzy or Alec, or even Simon tried none of it made her feel better.

When she spotted her family walking through the back door and down the steps to the patio her heart seemed to stop in her chest. She felt glued to her chair as her father's eyes scanned the crowd undoubtedly looking for her, and when he finally spotted her, he acted like she wasn't there and walked in the opposite direction.

Her mother however bowed her head and gave her a sympathetic smile, nothing changed between her and her father, Clary guessed. Jocelyn was never really allowed the right to speak unless spoken too, Valentine never said that directly but it was a rule all of them had to follow when under his roof.

It wasn't until Jonathan's icy glare fell onto her that she wanted to crawl under a rock and stay there forever. It was a mixture of disappointment and anger, one Clary had seen before when she first told her family she wanted to go to art school instead of becoming a lawyer, and obviously that didn't go over well considering she enrolled in pre-law school at NYU.

Izzy patted her hands that were wrung together tightly and Clary mustered up a smile.

She plucked up enough courage to go and talk to them, telling herself it was now or never. Although as she made her way towards the table they stationed themselves at she felt the urge to turn and run the other way, and she would have, had her father not looked up right on cue.

His eyes burned a whole into her the entire time she walked to the table and she new he was looking at her stomach, that in the last week had seemed to grow outstandingly. "Hey guys. Glad you could make it." Clary squeaked quietly, her hands knotted together in front of her, a smile forcing itself onto her face. "Clarissa." Her father said with a nod, and her mom and brother stayed silent. "We didn't have much of a choice for coming did we? There was no other way we'd be able to see you." Clary had the overwhelming urge to roll her eyes but she simply bowed her head and sat down across from her father.

"Are you enjoying yourselves?" She asked looking up between the three of them, her mother nodded, her brother scoffed, but her father, surprisingly answered calmly.

"We are." He nodded. "Although, we have yet to see your, boyfriend, around. Is he not coming?" Valentine asked quirking an eyebrow and cocking his head to one side. "He should be here." Clary choked out with a small smile.

"He is just a busy guy." She shouldn't be making excuses for him, but this was her father, he already hated Jace there was no reason to add fuel to the fire.

"Yes, we can all see that." Valentine said with a dark chuckle, and Clary sat down silently.

**XXXXXX**

They sat in silence for what felt like forever, Valentine drank what must have been the equivalence to half a bottle of Champagne.

"How have you been here?" Jocelyn finally asked, looking up her green eyes blinked softly and Clary let out a deep breath. "Good, I've been good here." Clary said with a nodded, puffing out her cheeks and then smiling a little. "Jace seems like a really nice boy." Jocelyn said with a light smile, her hands coming up to rest on the table, and Jonathan scoffed.

"Of course he seems nice." Valentine grumbled and Clary tried to ignore the bitterness in his voice. "This is all publicity for him. Every time his name is put in a magazine, or said on a news station, another one of his CD's is bought and he is getting the profit."

Clary sat back into the chair she was in and folded her hands in her lap. "It isn't about the money." She muttered back and her father's stare lasered into her scalp.

"Not about the money?" He said with a laugh. "Why else would he keep you around after he got you knocked up?" There he was. The real Valentine. The one Clary had been waiting to see all night, it just took a little alcohol to coax him out.

"Do you honestly think this kid loves you Clary?" He shot out. "Valentine" Jocelyn gasped, "Dad" Jonathan said at the same time, but he waved them away.

"As soon as you have this little bastard, the boy is going to drop you so fast you aren't going to know what hit you. He is going to realize that he doesn't want a kid, not with some girl he just jumped into bed with hoping for a one night stand." With every word Clary's protective wall she built around herself crumbled and she squeezed her eyes shut trying to choke back the tears that her father was creating, but it was no use. He was just saying everything she had been thinking lately, and that's what hurt her the most.

"Valentine Morgenstern!" Jocelyn yelled causing a few people to look her way including Izzy and the rest of her table.

Clary brushed a few tears away with the back of her hand and Valentine just laughed. "Don't expect us to be there for you when this is all gone" He said motioning to their surroundings.

"You made your bed Clarissa and now you have to lie in it." He riddled off and Clary took every word like an agonizing blow to the stomach. She kept her gaze locked onto her lap and her mother began yelling at her father causing even more of a scene.

Jonathan grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up, grumbling incoherent sentences under his breath and shooting the people who decided to stare at them, as they walked quickly to the house, warning glares that told them to look away.

His grip was tight on Clary and it would've hurt if she was actually focused on the pain but her mind was reeling, echoing the words her father had just said, all of it sinking in and making much more sense now as to why Jace was pushing her away, and that only made the tears come faster.

"Thank you" She whispered when Jonathan cleared her into the house.

"I'm not trying to save you." Jonathan said gruffly, his hand still tightly hooked around Clary's upper arm. "Our parents are making a mockery of themselves, and I didn't want to be associated with that. I agree with dad." Jonathan said matter-of-factly, and Clary ripped her arm away from him taking a few steps back.

"What?" She sputtered out "Are you kidding me?" She yelled choking back a sob

"He doesn't love you Clary, he doesn't even know you!" Jonathan yelled "Ask him how much he's getting paid over this whole ordeal, obviously it's plenty, if he can afford this place." Jonathan scoffed motioning around to the inside of his house. "You are just helping him get his name out there, that's all you are to him." Clary felt the urge to vomit, she held her hand up to stop her brother from talking and ran a hand over her face, stopping at her mouth.

Jonathan's face softened and he stepped closer to his sister. "If you come home now, you can still enroll for your sophomore year at NYU, dad will forgive you and we can, find a way to take care of..." He paused tilted his head slightly and somehow Clary knew what he meant. Her babies...well baby in this case because Jonathan had no idea she was having twins. But the way he said take care made Clary believe he meant something else.

"I'm not getting rid of it Jon." Clary sniffled, wiping the back of her hand under her nose. "I'm _not_ going back to law school, and I'm sure as hell never coming back home to see our father." Her voice grew louder and she felt her courage rising as she stood straighter.

"Because you are stupid and naive Clarissa. You are nineteen you aren't going to be able to raise a child alone." Jonathan scoffed laughingly at her and Clary's forehead creased. "I'm not going to be alone Jonathan." She countered placing her hands on her hips.

"Really? What is going to happen when your boyfriend goes on tour? When he is traveling the world having the time of his life... do you think he is going to want to take you and a newborn baby along? Because I sure as hell wouldn't" Clary's hands dropped from her sides and she stared at her brother, her mouth slightly agape. Why hadn't she thought of that before? Was she really that naive to think that after Jace's album promo was done he would be too? She closed her eyes and shook her head, when she looked up though she saw him. Standing in the door way of the hall that led to the front of the house. _Jace._

**XXXXXX**

Jace knew that the fight the night before was his fault, hell every fight they had that week was his fault, he was just in a pissy mood and Clary was always being so nice to him and all he really wanted was for her to yell at him like she would if she knew about everything.

He could have apologized that morning numerous times, but whenever he got close enough she would turn away like he wasn't there, and honestly he didn't even know where to start. So he hid away in the basement with Max, playing some new racing game he'd gotten from his parents. "Wow, you've gotten worse!" Max laughed as the screen flashed winner on his side and loser on Jace's.

"Sorry bud, I'm not really in the mood to play right now" Jace said placing the controller on the table in front of him, trying to smile but it all was just too forced to seem real. "Is it cause you and Clary had another fight last night?" Max asked nonchalantly, quirking an eyebrow quizzically at Jace. "What?" Jace pondered, creasing his forehead and furrowing his eyebrows together.

"Oh come on" Max laughed. "I'm twelve not stupid, I know a fight when I hear one. Mom and dad do it all the time" Max shrugged and pressed the play button on his controller switching over to one player and seemingly dropping the subject of Jace and Clary.

Jace sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. Every fight they had in the past week was over something so stupid that Jace didn't know why Clary didn't just give up on him. He would've given up on himself under those circumstances. The first fight was because, Jace found out that Clary went into the city with Isabelle and Magnus for one of her shoots. A couple were about Simon but last nights wasn't about anything. He just started a fight with her because he was angry and brooding.

Now they weren't talking and it was killing Jace, tearing him apart. "I'm gonna go upstairs." Jace said gruffly patting Max on the shoulder and the little boy just nodded.

"You should probably apologize to Clary. We've been spending an awfully large amount of time together, so I'd watch out, she might be falling for me." Max teased brushing imaginary dust of his shoulder and Jace laughed.

"Oh no, how will I ever win my girlfriend back from a twelve year old?" Jace joked and Max stuck out his tongue at him.

Jace's smile didn't falter all the way up the stairs, not until he heard voices echoing through the corridor, one male voice and one small and shy female voice. _Clary. _

He took the steps two at time until he reached the landing, pausing for a second to listen to what was going on, he didn't want to try and save her if there was nothing to save her from, so he waited.

_"I'm not getting rid of it Jon. I'm not going back to law school, and I'm sure as hell never coming back home to see our father." _

So this was Jonathan, Clary's brother.

_"Because you are stupid and naive Clarissa. You are nineteen you aren't going to be able to raise a child alone." _

_"I'm not going to be alone Jonathan." _

_"Really? What is going to happen when your boyfriend goes on tour? When he is traveling the world having the time of his laugh do you think he is going to want to take you and a newborn baby along? Because I sure as hell wouldn't" _

Clary's silence gave him the courage he needed to step around the doorway from the basement, and as soon as he did his eyes met Clary's, her cheeks were stained with tears and her bottom lip was sucked in between her teeth, and her eyes were glossed over. "Is there a problem?" Jace's voice rang out and Clary's brother whirled around quickly. "So you're the _boy_ who knocked up my sister." Clary's brother sneered and Jace acted as if the words didn't affect him.

"Clary are you alright?" Jace asked looking past Jonathan, tilting his head to the side slightly to get a better view of her as he took a couple steps forward.

"She's fine." Jonathan said stepping in front of his sister to block Jace, which just showed Jace that Clary in fact was not fine.

"Why don't we all just go back to the party?" Jace said with an extremely superficial smile stopping just in front of Jonathan who was almost the same height as Jace, just about an inch shorter, but bigger in stature for sure.

"Jace I'm fine." Clary muttered from behind her brother and he peered over Jonathan's shoulder to look at her quickly. Her eyes were on the ground and arms crossed against her chest her feet shifting back and forth, all signs that she was not ok.

"Why don't you just run along now." Jonathan said as if Jace was a child that needed to be disciplined. "I think you've done enough."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jace asked pointedly furrowing his eyebrows together.

"It means that you've ruined my little sister enough as it is." Jonathan said without hesitation. "Her life is over because of you, but you're just basking in all of the glory and publicity this is giving you. This is all just a game for you isn't it?" Jonathan said wickedly, jabbing a finger into Jace's chest.

"You have no idea what it's like with me and Clary. And I certainly am not going to sit here and be lectured about my life by some scum bag, mediocre lawyer." Jace sneered shoving Jonathan's hand away, stepping around him to get to Clary.

"Don't touch her" Jonathan growled.

"Fuck off" Jace retorted and when he reached her, he placed his hands on the sides of her face gently bringing her head up to face him. "I am so sorry." He whispered and she only had time to blink before he was being spun violently around by Jonathan and his fist met Jace's cheek instantly, rocking him backward.

"Jonathan!" Clary screeched.

When Jace found his footing he lunged at Jonathan the two of them clattering to the ground in a whirlwind of fists and knees. Jonathan was on top of Jace laying punch after punch into his abdomen, and Jace returned it with a sharp elbow to the nose that threw Jonathan off balance giving Jace the momentum he needed to swing himself around so he was on top. He was mildly aware of Clary yelling at both of them to stop but his body was relieving so much stress that he chose to ignore her.

His knee was dug into Jonathan's pelvis and he only got one good punch in before a pair of strong hands were peeling him up off the ground.

Jace heard Alec's voice telling him to "cool his shit" and saw Simon gripping Jonathan by the arms as he whirled around like a rapid dog. "I'm fine" Jace growled trying to shake Alec off of him, but his brother just gripped him tighter. "Seriously, I'm fine get off me" Jace barked and Alec complied. "Get him out of my house." Jace sneered spitting out some excess blood and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

He turned to look for Clary but saw his mother instead. "Are you quite finished?" She asked harshly, tapping her foot, Isabelle beside her, hands on her hips looking pissed off as ever.

"Mom it wasn't my fault he-" Jace tried but Maryse held up a hand to stop him.

"I don't want to hear it right now Jace." She shook her head. "Just...go get yourself cleaned up" She sighed.

Jace felt Clary take him by the elbow, she pulled him towards the hall, and into the nearest bathroom.

She sat him down on the toilet and scowered around the bathroom, pulling objects from different cupboards before settling before Jace. She pulled her long red hair into a loose ponytail and began to work on Jace.

Her hands worked tentatively as she wiped blood from the side of Jace's face and knuckles, and her forehead creased, like it did when she was concentrating on something she was drawing, she still hadn't said a word to him and she wasn't really looking at him either.

"Please say something." Jace said aware of the neediness in his voice.

"What is there to say?" Clary questioned running a cotton ball soaked in peroxide across a cut on his knuckles.

"I don't know, call me a dumbass, tell me that is the stupidest thing I could've done...anything" He pleaded and Clary threw down the rag that was in her hand.

"You're a dumbass, and that is the stupidest thing you could've done." She deadpanned and turned away from Jace, he could see her wince slightly and press her hand against her stomach.

"Are you alright?" He asked urgently, reaching out to touch her but she moved away swiftly.

"I'm fine." She muttered dropping her hand to her side leaning against the counter tiredly.

"Clary please, don't push me away." Jace begged and Clary snapped her neck to the side to look at Jace so quickly he thought she was going to break it.

"_Me_ push _you_ away?" She scoffed. "What the hell do you think you've been doing the past week Jace? I can't even talk to you without getting yelled at." She paused and stared at him reluctantly, but Jace stayed silent. "If you don't want me here, tell me, because I'm not going to let you keep stringing me along until you find someone better." She choked out and Jace's mouth fell open.

"What? No. That isn't..." He paused and took a deep breath in trying to collect his thoughts. "I'm just under a lot of stress lately, and I'm sorry that you're the one I've been taking it out on. I don't want you to leave. I just..." His sentence trailed off and he ran a hand through his hair.

"Do you love me?" Clary asked bluntly standing straighter, her voice coming out sharply as she stared down at him.

"What?" Jace choked out his eyes wide as he met her gaze.

"You heard me" She grumbled twitching an eyebrow upward.

"Clary what-why-Why are you asking me this?" He sputtered sitting up straighter, ignoring the sharp pain shooting through his chest.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I guess I just got my answer huh?" She said turning away from him her hand hooking around the door knob.

"No" Jace said just barely grabbing hold of her arm before she could step out into the hall. "No-I mean yes..I mean-" Clary ripped away from him.

"You don't love me I get it. Everyone is right. This is just about the money. One big fat check that you're going to be cashing in on in about five months." Clary spat at him and he felt like her words were just knife points to his throat.

"No! What? Who is saying that? That isn't...that's not true at all!" He barked standing up, his body towering over Clary's. "This is not about the money, I am not 'cashing' in on you being pregnant." He said using air quotes. "Who is telling you that?" He demanded and Clary shook her head.

"Everyone!" Clary yelled back. "My family, the media, your fans, and judging by the way you've been treating me lately...you" She accused narrowing her gaze.

"Well don't listen to them" Jace muttered. "I-" He shook his head and stepped toward her so they were only inches apart. "I care about you." He said softly.

"See! _You_ can't even say it! Just let me go Jace, I don't want to do this-"

"Will you shut up for a second?" Jace yelled and Clary snapped her mouth shut scowling up at him, it made him want to smile but he just shook his head. "I'm not going to say it right now because we are fighting. And you deserve to be mad at me, and I'm not using that as an excuse for this to be over." He sighed and cupped the side of her face, stroking the pad of his thumb against her cheek. "But just because I won't say it right now doesn't mean I don't feel it." He said in almost a whisper.

"How long is your tour" Clary said hoarsely and Jace dropped his hand from her cheek. She was staring at him expectantly, like nothing he just said even phased her.

"Four months" He said quickly. "But!-" He said loudly before Clary could interject. "I get a few days off between album promo and tour, plus a two week break in between the U.S. and the European leg." Jace bargained and Clary stared at him studiously. "When do you leave?" She asked not giving him an inch of ground.

"A week." He said quietly. "Jesus Jace! _A week_? Were you even going to tell me or just wait and see if I noticed that you were gone?" She barked throwing her hands in the air.

"No! I was just waiting. I was waiting for this picnic to be over because I know how stressed you were about your parents and I didn't want to add to it. And I promise I'll make arrangements so you can come and see me, and I'll fly back immediately if something is happening with you or the babies. I am so sorry, Clary please..." He rambled off taking her hand in his and staring at her pleadingly.

She continued to stare at him silently, her eyes narrowed, tongue pressed against her cheek as if she was weighing her options and with every second that passed Jace's heart dropped into his stomach. "Whatever...we'll just have to make it work" She breathed, her whole body falling as she exhaled. And a smile crept onto Jace's face. "So you aren't mad at me?" He asked hopefully.

"No, I'm pissed... But you already got your ass kicked today..." She sighed lightly touching the cut beside Jace's eye. "So I figured I should take it easy on you." Jace caught the slight presence of a smile on Clary's lips and it lit him up inside.

"Yeah right, if Alec hadn't of stepped in I totally would have had his ass." Jace muttered cockily causing Clary to roll her eyes.

"Shut up" She laughed pushing him away, and a sharp pain shot up through his abdomen causing him to let out a gruff "ow" and Clary's smile fell from her face.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry." Immediately her hands were on his chest, checking him for any bruising that might've started to show. "It's fine" He coughed out allowing Clary to pawn over him like he was a child.

She made him sit back down so she could finish her work on him, there was still a bit of tension between them Jace could tell, things that still weren't spoken, but he would take what he could get right now, whether it was half of Clary or all of her it didn't matter, he just needed something to help him know that there was hope.


	12. Congratulations I Guess

Whoa I feel like it took forever for me to get this out, but I have been reading a lot lately and when I read I kind of stop writing, so my apologies.

I like this chapter, and it leads into the next one (which will be full of fluffy-ness, and it will be out sooner than this one was) really well!

So make sure to comment and tell me what you did, or didn't like. And if you have any questions.

**P.S:** I am an 18 year old girl, who has never been pregnant before so I personally have NO idea what questions that actually ask you when you go to an appointment, or how those things work. I researched it the best I could and I did know things like, how an ultrasound works and what it looks like when you are having twins but that is about it. So sorry if some of it is wrong, or poorly put together.

****I DO NOT OWN THE NAMES IN THIS STORY, THEY BELONG TO CASSANDRA CLARE AND THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES****

* * *

Clary tossed and turned for hours after she laid down in her bed. No matter how hard she tried nothing would allow her body to rest for more than five minutes. Letting out a low groan she scooted off of her bed and crept out of room and down the hall to Jace's.

His door was slightly cracked and the flashing glow from his TV was flickering into the hall way. Clary peeked her head into the door and saw Jace sitting in his bed typing ferociously on his laptop. He looked pretty busy so Clary tried to quietly pull herself backwards but Jace looked up from his screen, as if on cue, and smiled. "Hey" He said softly and Clary's feet tangled around each other and she tripped into the door falling slightly. "Hey" She coughed hooking her left hand around her right elbow.

"I thought you went to bed hours ago?" Jace laughed, his forehead creasing in question. "Yeah, I tried to..." Clary nodded pursing her lips together. "I couldn't get comfortable..." She added, starting to feel quite childish as she stood in front of him like a child asking to sleep in their parents bed during a thunderstorm.

"Well, come on then" Jace smiled patting the spot beside him on his bed and Clary hesitantly drug her feet toward his bed, the fact that she was just in an oversized t-shirt and boy short underwear started to sink in as she crawled in beside Jace and burrowed underneath his blankets.

Jace instantly closed his laptop and gently placed it on his nightstand, shimmying down next to Clary. "That looked important." Clary breathed as he wrapped an arm around her placing a chaste kiss on her lips, when he pulled away he took a deep breath in a shrugged. "It was" He said with a smile and Clary pouted, furrowing her eyebrows together.

"Well, you shouldn't have let me stop you then. I don't want to interfere with your work" She protested trying to slip out of Jace's grasp but he seemed to pull her closer in the process.

"How was I supposed to concentrate on a stupid e-mail when my beautiful girlfriend is laying in the same bed as me? Plus..." His hand trailed down from her waist and skimmed her bare thigh. "Are you even wearing pants?" He laughed and Clary swatted his hand away feeling her entire body heat up in embarrassment.

"I don't like to sleep with pants on." She admitted proudly and Jace's smile widened, his eyebrows raising up to his forehead.

"That is good to know" He teased and Clary rolled her eyes and pressed her lips against his, her fingers playing with the necklace that dangled around his neck, and her legs twisting in between his. Jace pulled away just far enough so their foreheads touched and Clary could feel the heat of his breath radiate off her face.

"I'm beginning to think you didn't come in here to sleep" He joked, his fingers dancing on the now exposed skin of her waist. "Sorry." She said with a quick giggle and Jace kissed her again.

"It's fine" He said as he pulled away. "But if you don't want to go..._that_ far.." He raised his brows to hint to Clary what he meant, "We should probably stop cause...it's been a while and I'm not in charge of my actions after a certain point."

Clary scoffed and dramatically rolled her eyes this time. "Ok first of all, it's been like... five days, and second of all, you're a pig" She laughed and pushed him away from her playfully. "Five days too long though babe" He teased.

"Well I'm tired." Clary yawned. "Your bed is a lot comfier than mine" She said turning on her side, Jace snuggling in behind her securing his arm tightly around her stomach. She interlocked their fingers and leaned back into him.

"Yeah about that..." He started, nuzzling his head into the crooks of Clary's neck from behind. "I was thinking that...maybe you could turn your room into the babies' room or something." Clary felt her stomach knot up and her eyes snapped open. "Really?" She said, trying to contain herself, Jace never brought up the pregnancy on his own, or talked about their future plans, he liked to "go with the flow" as he had put it in the past, so what he was proposing came as a complete shock to Clary.

"Yeah, you and Izzy and my mom could decorate or something. My mom did the whole house so..." His voice trailed off and she heard him hold back a yawn. "You mean you didn't pick out the floral curtains in the bathroom?" Clary teased and she felt the vibration of Jace's laugh against her back. "Sadly no, I did not." He retorted.

Clary paused for a second and bit down on her lips, "So...if we are going to redo my room...where would I sleep?" She asked, aware that she was fishing for the obvious answer, she just wanted to hear Jace say it, so she asked anyway.

"Well the game room has a pull out couch" Jace said matter-of-factly and Clary jabbed her elbow back into his ribcage. "Ow" He laughed, rolling onto his back. "Obviously you'd stay in here." He said as Clary turned to face him. "I'm going to be away for a couple months, so I'll need someone to keep my bed company." He said with a smile.

Clary frowned and her forehead creased as she stared down at him, propping herself up on her elbow. "What about when you come back?" She said softly, and Jace reached up, tucking a fallen strand of hair behind her ear, then hooking a finger gingerly under her chin.

"Are you seriously questioning whether I want you to sleep in my room or not?" He asked curiously and Clary shrugged shyly, adverting her gaze from his face to his chest, that was rising and falling in perfect rhythm.

"Of course I do." He said with a chuckle. "I always want you with me." He said in a breath and Clary slid down from her elbow to lay beside him, her head on his chest her fingers drawing circles on his lower abdomen. "I still wish you would come with my to L.A, it's just promotion, and a few shows, we'd be back here in a week." Clary sighed, he'd asked her to go with him the day after she found out but she felt like it was just something he thought he needed to do so she said no.

"I don't want to intrude on your time with your band." She said softly and Jace laughed. "I am going to be seeing those guys everyday, for three months, you being with me for a week will do nothing to _interrupt my time with the band."_ He said playfully mocking Clary who had stilled her movements. "I'll think about it." She said and she felt Jace's arm tighten around her.

"Ok." He said kissing her on the forehead.

Clary closed her eyes, and her body instantly relaxed. The sound of Jace's heart beating, and the feeling of his chest rising and falling must've lulled Clary to sleep because the last thing she remembers was mustering out an "ok" in reply to Jace and she was immediately pulled into her dreams.

**XXXXXX**

"You nervous?" Clary asked Jace, his knee was shaking and he was looking around the waiting room frantically. There were babies and pregnant women every where. He bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head. "No" He replied quickly mustering up a smile for Clary and she smiled back, looking down at the magazine in her lap.

The truth is, he _was_ nervous. He already hated hospitals after a traumatic experience with a duck when he was younger, but now he was here for an extremely adult reason and he was starting to second guess himself, like he did almost every day since he met Clary.

The women and men around him seemed to do double takes when Jace and Clary walked into the waiting room. They would look at Jace, look down at their tabloid magazines and then continue to gawk in his direction until he shot them an annoyed glare and then they'd look away.

Jace and Clary decided that they weren't going to confirm anything with the media, but they also weren't going to deny anything either. Eventually it will become obvious, when Clary can no longer hide her stomach, but for now Jace's best interest was to keep her safe, and stress free.

"Clarissa Morgenstern?" A nurse called from the doorway of the waiting room and Jace saw Clary begin to stand up from the corner of his eye so he quickly followed suit.

The nurse took them to a small room with a computer-looking thing set up in the corner, an examination bed and a chair. Clary took a seat on the crinkly paper that covered the bed, her feet dangling over the edge and Jace's eyes wandered around everything. There were pictures of pregnant women everywhere, which made Jace feel incredibly awkward.

"Now I'm just going to take some blood and then I will be out of your hair today." The nurse said in an overly chipper voice as she snapped on some latex gloves. Jace took his place beside Clary and slid his hand into her's, slowly running his thumb back and forth, as the nurse pulled out a needle and Clary sucked in a sharp breath.

"My daughter absolutely loves you." The nurse blurted out as Clary's blood began to fill the small vial, Jace thought that this was neither the time nor place to bring up something like that, but he smiled back anyway, "Thank you." He said with a nod and squeezed Clary's hand lightly.

"I got her tickets to your Madison Square Garden show for her birthday and she never stops talking about it." The nurse continued to gush as she switched vials, taking more of Clary's blood and staring at Jace.

"That's great! Which night?" Jace asked and Clary shot him an 'are you serious' look. Jace just shrugged, he didn't want to talk about it as much as Clary didn't, but he wasn't going to completely ignore the women she was staring right at him. "The first night," She said with a laugh, as she popped the last vial onto the needle taking the last of Clary's blood that she needed.

"Well, I hope she enjoys it." Jace said with a smile and the nurse just laughed nodding her head as if she was some giddy school girl, which made Jace chuckle in return.

"Would you mind signing something for her?" The nurse asked bluntly and Jace gave Clary a questioning look and she rolled her eyes motioning for him to go ahead.

"Sure" He said with a smile, "Do you have a pen?" Before Jace even finished his sentence the nurse was pulling a pen and paper out of the pocket on her scrubs and handing them to him. "Her name is Tessa" She said and Jace scribbled a generic message, saying she rocks and he hopes she loves the concert, and his name across the piece of paper, handing it back to the nurse with a nod.

"Thank you so much." She said again before turning away from Clary and Jace. "Dr. Branwell should be in shortly to get you started with your ultrasound" She said as if she just realized that she was at work and not supposed to be gawking over celebrities. Clary nodded and pursed her lips together, she didn't speak until the nurse left and then she slowly turned her attention to Jace.

"What?" He said with a chuckle and a shrug of the shoulder. "I couldn't say no, that would just make me look like an ass."

"Yeah and you signing autographs while your girlfriend is freaking out, is making you look so much better." Clary scoffed loosely crossing her arms around her stomach.

"Why are you freaking out?" Jace asked with a laugh and Clary glowered at him. "That was blood work to find out if there is anything wrong." Clary said sharply and the smile fell from Jace's lips.

He stepped in front of her and cupped the side of her face in his hand, skimming the pad of his thumb against her cheekbone. "Nothing is wrong." He said trying to sound convincing but Clary just stared unwaveringly at him. "How do you know." She asked quietly and Jace dropped his hand down so Clary was encased in between his arms, and he was holding himself up as he leaned forward against the examination bed.

"Because I know everything." He joked and Clary shook her head, a small smile gracing her lips, Jace bent down and kissed the corner of her mouth. As he pulled away he heard someone clear their throat from behind him.

"Ah, Ms. Morgenstern it's nice to see you again." He turned slowly and saw a small women with white-blond hair, pulled into a tight bun, and a doctors coat on. "You must be the father." She said holding out her hand. "I'm Dr. Branwell, Clary's doctor." She said cheerily and Jace slowly shook her hand giving her a smile. "Jace" He said in response.

"Yes, I am quite aware of who you are Mr. Herondale" Dr. Branwell said with a playful wink that made Jace's cheeks flush, and Clary laugh nervously.

**XXXXXX**

"So Clary, how are you feeling today?" The doctor asked turning away from the two of them, shuffling through some papers she pulled off her clip board.

"Alright." Clary said shyly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"No nausea, cramping, back pain...nothing?" Dr. Branwell asked peering over her shoulder slightly to look at Clary skeptically. "I mean I don't get sick but I get like super, bad cramps sometimes..." Her voice trailed off and she felt Jace's eyes on her making her shift her body slightly. Dr. Branwell smiled at her comfortingly and nodded.

"That is completely fine, cramping and back pain are the most common symptoms when you are between your first and second trimester, along with fatigue and increased sex-drive" Clary heard Jace stifle back a laugh and she swatted his shoulder, shooting him a warning glare. "What?" He laughed holding his hands out in front of him before crossing them against his chest, a sly smirk on his lips.

Dr. Branwell chuckled under her breath and clapped her hands together. "Well if we are ready to get started, I'm going to need you to lay all the way back." She said and Clary obeyed slowly scooting herself up the bed.. "Mr. Herondale if you'd like to take a seat we are just going to start the ultrasound" Jace pulled the chair closer to Clary before plopping down into it.

"So what's that thing gonna do?" Jace asked curiously and Clary sucked in a breath. "Jace." She breathed and Dr. Branwell just smiled. "Well, first we are going to find the heart beat again, and confirm whether or not she is in fact having twins, and then I will be able to find out more accurately when Clary's due date is." Dr. Branwell said without hesitation, turning away from Jace and Clary felt him squeeze a hold of her hand.

"Now if you want to just push your shirt up..." Dr. Branwell said her back still turned away from Clary as she got the ultrasound wand ready, and Clary rolled her cotton t-shirt up to just under her chest, her stomach bubbling out more than usual, and she became extremely aware of Jace's eyes on her. He took her hand in his again and interlocked their fingers, as Dr. Branwell squirted the cool gel onto Clary's stomach.

It took a little long than before to find the heart beat but when she did it was louder and more prominent and made Clary feel like she might vomit. "There it is" Dr. Branwell said with a grin and Clary looked at Jace whose face seemed expressionless. His eyes were trained on the screen, his hand limp in Clary's and his mouth slightly agape.

"Now if you look right here..." Dr. Branwell said moving the wand against her stomach in a circle slowly, and Clary's eyes adverted from Jace back to the screen. She was pointing to two gray blobs and Clary had a feeling she knew what was about to come next. "Congratulations, you are having twins."

For some reason that hit Clary hard. For weeks she had been telling herself that it might not be true, that it could have been a mess up with the machine but now, it was all real. One hundred percent for sure, that she was having twins. Two babies. Her mind was racing, questioning everything about the next few months of this pregnancy. How was she going to do it without Jace? Was her brother right? Is she was going to have to raise these babies on her own? What the hell was she going to do?

"Those two grey circles are the embryo sacs, now..." The doctor paused and pressed some buttons that made the monitor zoom in slightly. Clary held her breath, her palms were sweating and Jace tightened his hand against hers, leaning closer from his chair. "Since there are two different sacs, that means that they are fraternal, so there is a possibility that you could be having a boy and girl, but two of the same gender is still a strong possibility as well."

Dr. Branwell looked between the two of them expectantly but Clary was just nodding slowly, as if she was in a daze, which she kind of was. She heard Jace clear his throat but she didn't bother looking at him, she was trying to hold herself together. You'd think the second time she heard she was having twins she would know how to register it but it was almost worst this time.

"Do you have any questions right now?" Dr. Branwell asked pulling Clary out of her thoughts, her eyes skimming over Jace who had dropped his hands into his lap and had his head hung low. Clary just shook her head, curling her fingers into the palms of her hands.

"I will be back with your due date and the results from your blood work." Dr. Branwell said clapping her hands together and standing from her stool.

The door clicked closed behind her and Clary reached for the paper towel roll that was at her side. The goo was sticky and gross, and just how she remembered it from the first time. "Holy shit." Jace finally said in a breath and Clary sat up slowly, her shirt sliding down her stomach. "Yeah" She said back, staring at the wall directly in front of her.

"Twins...like for real. I know that you said...but I guess it didn't sink in...I just...holy shit" He repeated. "Yeah." Clary said almost robotically. "It's ok..." Jace said nodding his head continuously. "We will figure it out, we knew this was a possibility, and we can...we can figure it out."

"Can we?" Clary said slowly turning her head down to look at Jace and he returned her blank face with a confused one. His brows furrowed together, and his forehead creased. "What do you mean?" He asked a bit hurt sounding and Clary just shook her head and closed her eyes. "Nothing," She sighed staring down into her lap. She could see her stomach protruding under her shirt and she felt the tears stinging at the corners of her eyes.

"No Clary, what are you talking about?" Jace said more adamantly this time. "You can't just shut me out like that, I am going through this too." He said his tone practically begging Clary to look at him as he took her of her hand.

"I really don't want to talk about it right now Jace." She said her words coming out sharp, and warningly, and he let go of her hand with a scoff, and leaned back in the chair, his arms snaking around his chest. Clary was aware that she should just tell him why she was so worried, and why she was acting this way but she didn't feel like arguing right now.

They sat in silence, Clary wringing her hands together nervously and looking everywhere around the room except for directly at Jace, who had pulled his phone out of his pocket and seemed extremely invested in an e-mail, or text message that someone had sent him.

It felt like forever before Dr. Branwell came back into the room, and when she did Clary let out a sigh of relief, the tension was becoming to much to bear at that point and she felt like she might explode. "I come bearing good news." Dr. Branwell said with a grin, clicking her pen and sticking it in her lab coat pocket. "The results of your blood work came back, and as of right now everything looks perfectly fine." She smiled but Clary didn't return it.

"As of right now?" She questioned scrunching her forehead together and tilting her head to the side slightly.

"With any pregnancy, there is always risk that something may happen as you get further along, especially when it comes to multiple births, but right now you have no reason to worry." Dr. Branwell said with a nod but Clary didn't feel comforted. "We just suggest you go easy on yourself, and make sure you eat healthy and get plenty of exercise but also don't over exert yourself." Dr. Branwell informed her and flipped a paper over her clipboard, her eyes scanning whatever was on it, making Clary incredibly curious.

"From the date that you gave us, of the first day of your last period, we've calculated that your due date will be February 21st of next year." She smiled and tucked her clip board under her arm. Clary mustered up a smile and she felt Jace's body shift beside her, but from the look on Dr. Branwell's face she could tell neither of them must've looked excited. "Do you have any questions _at all_?" She asked finally almost pushing them to ask something, anything at that point.

"Would Clary be able to travel?" Jace blurted out and Clary snapped her head to look at him, she saw his eyes flicker over to her from the side but his full attention was locked on Dr. Branwell.

"In the early months, yes," Dr. Branwell said with a nod. "But, she really should stay home and in bed once her due date gets closer. However we will cross that bridge when we come to it, at our upcoming appointments so there is no need to worry about that now."

Clary tried hiding her annoyance but at the same time didn't care if Jace new she was pissed off that he would ask that. She hopped down off of the bed and Jace stood up beside her. They followed the doctor out to the secretary's desk where they set up another appointment, three weeks away and finally the two of them, Jace at Clary's heels, slipped silently out of the hospital.

**XXXXXX**

The car ride was quiet, Clary's head pressed against the cool window with her eyes closed. She pretended she was asleep for the entire 45 minute drive from the city to Jace's house. Childish yes, but it was the only way she could avoid having to talk about the appointment and what she let slip.

When they got home she hopped out of the car before Jace had a chance to speak and walked briskly into the house and up to her room, avoiding Isabelle and Magnus at all costs.

It had been about an hour since they got home and Clary was immersed in her sketch book her pencil scratching away at the paper, when a knock came at her door. Before she could say anything Jace walked in.

"The knock was a bit pointless don't ya think?" She said not meaning to sound as harsh as she evidently did.

"I have band rehearsal and then the album release party is tonight" Jace said ignoring her comment. "You're coming right?" He asked and Clary looked up at him, his eyebrows were raised to his forehead and he was staring at her expectantly.

"I don't really have a choice do I?" Clary said with a sarcastic laugh. "Michael would be pissed if you went alone. Especially with everything that's going on." She meant the pregnancy but figured she wouldn't say it for the sake of not bringing up the appointment.

"Yeah" Jace said his hand still on he door knob from when he opened it. "Clary I don't know what's wrong..." He finally said and she sucked in a sharp breath. "Jace..." She sighed and he shook his head. "No. You are acting like your pissed off at me and I don't know why." He was staring at her practically begging for her to say something but she just shook her head.

"I'm fine" she said widening her eyes and lifting both eye brows. "I'll be ready for your party when you get back from rehearsal." She said lightly so he would get off her back about being upset.

For a second she thought he was going to start up again but he snapped his mouth shut and shook his head. "Whatever" he replied, sounding defeated and Clary wanted to feel bad but she just couldn't force herself to.

**XXXXXX**

"Dude that's crazy" Sebastian said as him and Jace slid to the floor both sweaty from the rehearsal space's muggy atmosphere. "I mean what are the odds?" He said adding a laugh and Jace just shrugged and shook his head. "Slim to never, so it's only fitting that it happened to me" Jace joked back dryly.

"I mean at least you two are together. Imagine if you weren't...the media would be having a frenzy over this." Sebastian said pressing a water bottle to his lips and taking a long swig.

"You're right, because camping out in from of my house just to get a glimpse of Clary's stomach, isn't already bad enough." Jace shook his head and leaned against the wall, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Sebastian just laughed and wiped his chin of the excess water that dribbled down it. "So is Isabelle coming to the party tonight?" He asked cooly, looking off at their set as if he didn't really care and Jace looked at him questioningly. "She might...why?" He asked quirking an eyebrow, Sebastian still avoided eye contact but Jace stared right at the side of his face.

"Just wondering...she bringing anyone?" He asked with a shrug and Jace laughed scoffingly. "Oh, no." He started shaking his head vigorously. "No, no, no, no. You two are not doing that again. Do you know how hard it was for me to be in the same room with her without her screaming at me about you? It took months for me to be able to feel comfortable in my own home Seb. You are not going after her again." Jace said whisking his hand through the air.

"I just asked a question Jace, geez." Sebastian laughed pushing himself up from the floor and wiping his backside. "Sure you were." Jace said following Sebastian's motions. "She is off limits. I'm serious dude." Jace said as Sebastian sauntered away from him, waving a hand in the air.

Jace gritted his teeth and grumbled under his breath, Sebastian wasn't going to listen to him, but he prayed that Isabelle wouldn't fall into that death trap again, for his own sanity's sake.

The sun was already setting by the time that Jace got home and he was hoping that Clary and Isabelle had started getting ready but in all reality he knew they hadn't.

When he pulled Into the drive he noticed that Simon's car was there and he felt the annoyance flood his body. If he was there it meant Clary was probably talking to him about, what was wrong and not Jace.

The words that Clary said at the doctors office echoed trough his head over and over "Can we?" Two simple words but they had so much affect.  
Jace immediately made his way up the stairs inside and towards Clary's room.

Muffled voices flooded into the hallway and Jace didn't even bother to knock. Izzy was scowering through clothes in Clary's closet, and Simon and Clary were sitting on her bed. Not near each other, but not far enough for Jace to be comfortable with. The way they all ceased conversation and looked at Jace when he crossed the threshold told him that he had been the topic of discussion.

"I didn't know Simon was going to be here." He said trying to hold back the bitterness in his voice. The two boys had gotten used to each other over the weeks but that didn't mean Jace liked him.  
Clary just nodded and gave him a half smile that seemed forced.

"Thank God Magnus is coming over with some clothes because you have nothing Clary" Isabelle said obviously not feeling the tension in the room.

Jace stared at Clary, she was flipping through a magazine and avoiding his eyes at all costs. It had been hours since she had even said anything to him and now she was acting like he wasn't even there, and he was starting to get pissed off. "Just make sure you're all ready by nine thirty" Jace grumbled turning on his heel, slamming the door behind him.

**XXXXXX**

The door slammed closed when Jace left and Clary's body jolted slightly. She closed her eyes and inhaled sharply, completely aware of Simon and Isabelle's eyes on her but she continued to skim over the pages of the magazine.

"You have to talk to him." Simon finally said and Isabelle hummed in agreement.

Clary puffed out her cheeks and tossed her magazine to the side. "I'm going to take a shower" she said ignoring both of them and scooting off her bed.

Isabelle shrugged and went back to tossing Clary's clothes around and Simon fell back onto her bad deafeatedly.

As she padded down the hall and into the bathroom she made sure to stay quite so she wouldn't disturb Jace. Or give him any reason to try and corner her so they could talk.

She knew he didn't get why she was mad. She wasn't even mad at him. It was just the situation they were in. They still hardly knew facts about each other, and Jace was leaving and she was going to be stuck in this huge house alone. Because after tonight Jace's parents were going home.

She started the water in the shower and let the steam build up before she peeled off her clothes, stepped in, letting the hot water cascade down her body.

She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she was having twins. One baby was hard enough to think about but two?

Her hands fell to her stomach, the bump was more prominent than just a few days ago and Clary could feel the ridges where the stretch marks were starting to form. Blinking back the tears she grabbed her shampoo and tried not to focus too much on what was bothering her, although that is easier said than done.


	13. That Four Letter Word

Hope you guys like it! Sorry it's so long.

I guess I should warn you about citrus but it's honestly not that bad so if you're worried about it...don't worry (:

I might start a new summer fic, but I'm not sure. So maybe watch out for that?

****I DO NOT OWN THE NAMES IN THIS STORY THEY BELONG TO THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS AND CASSANDRA CLARE****

* * *

After hours or receiving admirations, shaking hands with people, talking about the album, and being offered drink after drink, Jace was exhausted. It didn't help that his head was fuzzy from the amount he had been drinking, and his vision had now become hazy.

When it finally hit 2 a.m Isabelle, Alec, Simon, Magnus and Jace all decided to leave the club. As they all piled into a taxi van, Jace's mind flooded with the details of the fight him and Clary got into right before they left for the party.

_Jace was getting ready in his room when he heard a faint knock on the door. "Come in!" He yelled over his shoulder, pulling an all black t-shirt over his head. _

_"Hey," a soft voice said behind him and Jace's movements slowed. He craned his head slightly, to look behind him and saw Clary standing in the doorway. Her red hair pulled half up, the rest softly falling down over her shoulders. She looked beautiful but he played it off cool, turning away from her and smoothing down his t-shirt. "Hey," He replied reaching over to his dresser for his watch. _

_From the mirror Jace could see Clary's eyes drift from him to the bottle of beer that was sitting idly on his dresser. "Already started I see." She said in an accusing tone, that made Jace roll his eyes. So what if he already started drinking? He wasn't drunk, he only had two, and he had been on edge all day so he wanted something to help him chill out, sue him. _

_"Yeah," He scoffed snapping the watch onto his wrist and dropping his arms to his sides. "Are you just going to drink all night then?" She asked wrapping her arms around herself and Jace tilted his head back and let out a deep sigh. "Probably," He muttered crossing his room to grab his jacket off his bed. _

_"Well, I don't want to go if you're just going to drink and flaunt around all night, like you usually do when you drag me to these things" She said defensively and Jace grumbled under his breath and Clary stepped into his room further. "What was that?" She asked, her eyes zeroing in on him, he could feel her hot stare on his back.  
_

_"I said..." He started, slowly turning to face her. "Then don't" He could see the anger rising in Clary's body, as her chest, and then her face turned almost a crimson color that even the makeup Magnus put on her couldn't cover up, but for some reason something in him snapped and he couldn't find it in him to care. "If you're just going to nag at me like you always do, don't come" He shrugged quirking an eyebrow. _

_"Maybe I won't" Clary said challengingly, her hands propped on her hips now, her left hip popped out to one side. "Fine." Jace said with a scoff, slipping his jacket on and brushing off the sleeves. "You're such an ass." Clary muttered turning to walk out of his room and Jace couldn't hold back the words that came flooding out of his mouth. _

_"I'm an ass?" He laughed sarcastically. "You're the one who has been walking around here on a giant bitch spree all damn day. You act like the world should revolve around _you_, that everyone should feel sorry for _you_, but news flash you aren't the only one going through this shit." Clary had stopped in her tracks at this point and turned her head to the side so Jace could only see her profile.  
_

_He expected her to lash out back at him but she just pursed her lips together and left the room. He regretted what he said, he knew it was too harsh but truthfully it was how he felt on the inside. _

But now he just wanted to go home and apologize to her make everything ok, because he was going to be leaving for L.A and he didn't want them to leave off on a bad note. His head was pounding, and the sensation of having to throw up over took his body before it wavered back down into his stomach. Jace didn't drink nearly as much as the other four had. His body was a mixture of alcohol and exhaustion the others were running on what seemed to be pure adrenalin.

None of them seemed ready for the night to be over, but Jace knew as soon as they reached their rooms they'd be passed out in a matter of seconds.

When they reached the house the rain outside had begun pouring down. The short walk from the driveway to the covered porch gave them enough time to become sopping wet and shivering. But it didn't seem to bother any of them, in fact Isabelle was upset that they wouldn't let her stay outside and play in the rain. She turned into a five year old when she drank, Jace silently wished Simon good luck and left them all behind.

His movements were sluggish as he drug his feet up the stairs, his boots squeaking underneath the tiled flooring. He debated on whether or not he should go see Clary but decided he should probably leave her alone, especially in the state that he was in. The walk to his room seemed to take longer than he would've liked, and he kicked his shoes off before padding into the bathroom to peel off his wet clothes.

A few times while he was undressing he thought he was going to vomit but he choked the sensation back and chugged a glass of cold water down to settle his stomach. He pulled on a pair of basketball shorts that were lying on his bathroom floor and slipped out into his bedroom. At first he didn't notice that there was someone in his bed, but when he got closer a small movement from under his covers caught his eye.

It really didn't take much for Jace to figure out who it was. Her red hair was splayed out across the pillow, the blanket pulled securely around her entire body, so just her eyes were peaking out. His entire body warmed up as he pulled his side of the covers down and tried to slowly slide under them so he didn't wake her up.

But her eyes flickered open and her body shifted so she was on her back. "Hey..." Jace said, his voice came out strained and his forehead creased in question, "I figured Simon would need a place to sleep. So I gave him my room for the night." Clary croaked out tiredly with a yawn.

Jace just nodded and stared down at her. Her eyes fluttered closed again and her chest rose and fell to the rhythm of her breathing. Even in the dark Jace thought she looked beautiful, she always did. Her eyes looked more swollen than usual though and he assumed it was the result of her crying which set of a pang of anger and guilt flame up inside of him. The tension in his chest was building and it felt like he might throw up right then and there but what came out was not what he expected.

"I love you." He blurted out, and Clary's eyes snapped open immediately.

"You're drunk" She muttered rubbing her palms against the lids of her eyes. "No" Jace said simply, and Clary shot him a knowing look. "Ok so I've had a few drinks tonight, that doesn't mean that I don't still mean it." He said propping himself up on his elbow. "I love you." He repeated and Clary stared up at him cautiously.

"Can we just talk tomorrow I'm tired" She breathed and Jace felt her starting to retreat. "No, we are going to talk now. I'm not putting this off anymore. I don't know why you're mad at me. I need you to tell me so I can fix it." He begged and reached up to touch Clary's face but she cringed away from him. "Clary..." He breathed quietly, and she closed her eyes and sucked in a sharp breath.

"I'm just scared." She said with a shrug, her eyes staring at the ceiling. Jace's forehead creased in question and he furrowed his eyebrows together. "We don't even hardly know each other. I don't know anything about your real parents, or your life before I met you, and you know almost nothing about me." She shook her head and ran a hand over her face, Jace just stared down at her steadily, allowing her to get it all off her chest.

"Is that why you're mad? You want to know about my real parents?" Jace asked quirking an eyebrow, a light chuckle falling from his lips. Clary shot him an incredulous look and groaned frustratedly "No!" She grumbled picking her hands up and dropping them back onto the comforter. "It's just..." She paused.

"Now you're leaving for like four months and I'm going to be alone and pregnant while you're out traveling the world and having a great time. I'm trying not to let what my brother and dad said to me get inside my head but I can't help thinking their right." Her voice was shaking and Jace wanted to reach out and tell her to stop but she just kept going. "This isn't how it's supposed to go." She said shaking her head back and forth.

"We've known each other for what...three and a half months and we are having children already. And it wasn't even supposed to happen in the first place. How is that going to work? What if you don't want me when I get all fat and gross. Or decide that you really don't want kids? Or find someone better, who can boost your reputation? Then what?" Her body was shaking as she brought her hand up to her face and wiped a few stray tears away. "I'm not pushing you away because I'm mad at you. I'm just preparing myself for what everyone has been telling me is going to happen." She sputtered out with a few quick breaths, trying to hold back a sob, Jace assumed.

He felt his own throat tighten and burn from the tears he was holding back, if he knew that she was feeling that way he would've have told her he loved her way before tonight. He hooked his finger under her chin and turned her to face him. "Don't listen to everyone." He said simply, "Fuck everyone. I don't care about my reputation, and-" He shut his eyes for a second, inhaled and shook his head.

"I love you. And yes, the way we met, and the reason that I fell for you isn't ideal, but it doesn't change a damn thing. We have time to get to know each other because it doesn't matter if we have kids now or in ten years, I still can't see myself being with anyone else. I don't want anyone else. I just want you." Tears were still slowly streaking down Clary's face and Jace brushed his thumb against her cheek to wipe them away. "And you aren't fat and gross" He smiled softly, sliding down from his elbow so he was laying beside her on his side. "You're beautiful." He whispered when their face were just centimeters apart.

"I'm going to get fat" Clary huffed and Jace rested his forehead on hers.

"Well, I'll still love you." He breathed cupping her cheek in his hand. Clary's hand came up and wrapped around his wrist securely. "I love you too" She breathed back for the first time that night and a fire engulfed Jace's insides.

He crashed their lips together hungrily, dropping his hand down to her waist, his fingers curling around her hip and pulling her closer to him. He didn't know if she would protest to him but he needed to show her how he felt and this was the only way he could think of doing so at the moment.

His fingers traced the skin of her stomach, and ran down her bare thigh as she tangled their legs together.

Her fingers were in his hair, pulling and working methodically, causing Jace's fingers to tighten around Clary's leg, and a low moan to escape his lips. Clary's lips were needy, and she lightly bit down on Jace's bottom lip as he rolled over so he was hovering over her small body.

Her smell was intoxicating, the way she said his name set his body on edge and it responded accordingly grinding his hips into to Clary's as their bodies pressed hungrily against each other.

He slid down lower to the hem of her t-shirt and began to push it upwards, leaving a trail of kisses in its wake, lingering by the waist band of her underwear, causing Clary to breath in sharply and arch her back, he sucked lightly on the exposed skin as his nimble fingers worked the delicate fabric down Clary's legs.

He needed to be as close to her as possible. To feel her skin against his, breath in her scent and taste her on his lips. The want that was coursing through his veins was almost painful for him, never had he felt this way anout another girl, and it scared him that Clary had so much control over his emotions, but at the same time he wouldn't want it any other way.

When the soft cotton shirt was peeled off of her body, he was met with Clary's urgent kiss once again. His hand fell to her upper thigh and her whole body rippled with a shiver, a whimper came from her swollen lips as Jace hooked it around his waist. Her fingers dipped into the waist band of his shorts and he smiled against her collar bone as he pulled at the fabric of her sports bra.

The remains of their clothes were all over Jace's floor and Jace's body was shaking with anticipation. "I don't want you to leave me." Clary breathed huskily when Jace reluctantly parted from her. "I'm right here." He breathed tucking a fallen strand of hair behind Clary's ear, wiping away a fallen tear in the process, and pressing his lips onto her once more. Clary pulled him closer to her by the small chain that hung around his neck, her bodies flush together.

They moved together in perfect rhythm. Slow and steady a mixture of heavy breathing, low groans, and moans of complete ecstasy filled the room. Clary's finger nails were dug deep into Jace's shoulders and she scraped them down his back, but the feeling just added fuel to the burning fire inside of his body. "I love you." He whispered kissing down her jaw, "I love you" He repeated between each kiss that he left along her collar bone and neck and chest.

And even though he wasn't one for repeating his unrequited love over and over again, he knew that it was what he needed that time. And by the way that Clary's body responded he knew she needed it too.

**XXXXXX**

Clary woke up to the sound of Jace's TV quietly echoing through the room. Breathing in sharply she stretched her arms and legs out and grumbled out a low tired groan. "Did I wake you up?" Jace asked quickly turning the volume down even further, and Clary just smiled and shook her head.

Every thing that happened last night, and well into this morning, came rushing back into her mind. She wasn't sure how to act, was he going to pretend it didn't happen? Should she remind him? He wasn't that drunk right? She caught herself staring at him when he looked down at her and smirked. "Stunned by my beauty so much that you can't even speak, huh?" He teased and Clary rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Hungry?" He asked and Clary nodded vigorously. "Very." She replied with a tired breath and Jace smiled. "Good, Harriett always makes the best breakfasts right before I leave." And Clary felt her heart drop to her stomach. "I just have to go to my room and get some pants." She said sitting up and looking around the room for her discarded clothing. It was sitting on the bench at the end of Jace's bed neatly folded.

"Do you really need pants though?" Jace asked cocking his head to one side and squinting his eyes. "Not unless you'd like your entire family to see my ass" She pointed out, holding the sheet against her chest as she sat up in his bed. Jace rolled off the mattress, already dressed in his boxers and basketball shorts. How long had he been up? "I don't think Izzy would mind, and we both now Magnus and Alec couldn't give a shit." He smiled with a wink, and Clary noticed the light scratch marks treading down Jace's back.

"Simon's here." Clary pointed out and the smile instantly fell from his face. "Yeah, pants." He said with a nod and Clary stifled a laugh. "I'll meet you downstairs then" He smiled and Clary nodded slowly, pursing her lips together, waiting until he the door closed behind him to slide off his mattress and slip into her sports bra, t-shirt and boy short underwear.

Silently, as not to wake up Isabelle from her hungover slumber, Clary crept down the hallway to her room. She told Simon that he could sleep in her room the night before so she peeked her head in to see if he was still there. When she craned her neck around the door she saw that her bed was empty, and didn't look any different then the way she had left it the night before. _He must have taken a taxi home_. Clary thought to herself as she padded into the room and picked up a pair of discarded yoga pants off the floor.

When Clary made it down stairs to the kitchen Jace was on the phone with someone speaking in a hushed voice, that made Clary's ears prick up to try and hear what he was saying, but when she entered the kitchen entirely Jace hung up.

"Smells good" Clary said with a smile and Harriett smiled back, humming a song under her breath. "Jace's favorite breakfast before tour, french toast." She said with a nod, and Jace chuckled.

"Anyone else up?" Harriett asked, her backs turned to Jace and Clary, as she flipped pieces of bread over the stove. "I don't think so, it may take a little more than the smell of breakfast to rouse Isabelle and Alec this morning." Jace laughed and Harriett tsk'd, shaking her head.

"You kids and your partying. You turn 21 and all of a sudden, the entire world revolves around alcohol." She muttered turning off the stove, removing the towel from around her waist and throwing it on the counter before leaving, muttering more complaints under her breath.

"She acts like your mother." Clary laughed watching Harriett retreat around the corner and Jace chuckled lightly. "Yeah"

Jace sat down on one of the Island seats and let out a yawn. "How long have you been up?" Clary asked furrowing her eyebrows together, walking up to him so they were eye level. "Did you even sleep at all last night?"

"I was a little busy." He winked and Clary hit him in the shoulder, trying to hold back a smile, as she stood between his legs. "You know what I mean." She said quietly, feeling the blush creep up to her cheeks. "A little bit. I had some stuff to take care of." He shrugged, and Clary narrowed her eyes, a little annoyed by his vagueness.

"Oh, were you still taking care of it when you were on the phone a little bit ago?" She asked sharply and Jace looked up at her through his eyelashes. His golden eyes shimmering with light.

"Yeah actually I was" He said with a laugh, and Clary nodded raising both her eyebrows to her forehead. "You know you really should've put a shirt on" She said matter-of-factly. And Jace shot her questioning look.

"I really don't want everyone seeing the scratches I left on your back." She said in a quieter voice leaning closer to Jace so her voice didn't travel, her fingers tracing the marks at his shoulders, and Jace smirked leaning in as well.

"It's not like they couldn't hear you anyway." He teased and Clary punched him harder in the arm laughing out loud. "Shut up!" She squeaked and Jace kissed her lightly on the lips, and before he could pull away Clary leaned back in for more. He was like a drug to her, and she craved him now that she knew he was going to be leaving tomorrow.

The kiss became deeper, Jace pulled her closer to his body by her hips and she wrung her arms around his neck securely. Her cares and inhibitions flew out the door at that point, she wanted more, needed it in fact, needed to be closer, just a little closer to him.

"Not in my kitchen!" Harriett's voice rang out from behind them and Clary jumped away from Jace dropping her arms to her sides. She stood in the doorway tapping her foot, one hand on her hip. Max, Alec, Magnus, Isabelle, and Simon all filed in after her. _Wait Simon was here? C_lary thought to herself_. _"Sorry Harriett," Jace smirked and Clary's entire body flooded with embarrassment.

"Seriously is no place sacred?" Isabelle gagged and stomped to the table, filling into an empty seat. "Please tell me that you two have never done_ that_ in hear before." She grumbled massaging her temples with her finger tips.

"Whatever do you mean by _that_?" Jace asked innocently and Clary felt her cheeks turning an even heavier shade of red. "Oh please" Magnus spoke up with a chortle. "Are you going to try and say that you got into a fight with a cat last night?" He asked motioning toward Jace's back and Jace just chuckled. "Ew, I don't want to think about that." Alec said holding his hands over his ears. "She's too small" He grumbled shaking his head.

"I mean she is pregnant, so we can assume that it's happened many times before today." Magnus teased, and they all collectively gagged. "Ok!" Clary spoke up throwing her hands in the air. "Stop please!"

"Yeah, seriously, stop that is not what I want to think about right now" Simon said placing his head in his folded arms on the table.

"What are you guys talking about?" Max asked and they all looked at him, their mouths open slightly. "Nothing Max" Harriett said speaking for all of them. Placing the first plate of french toast in front of the young boy.

"If I ever find out that you defiled my kitchen with your...your..." She paused waving a spatula in Jace's face. "hormonal acts, I can assure you this will be the last meal I ever make for you" She threatened and Jace laughed as she placed the second plate in front of Clary.

"How come they get to eat before me?" Jace whined and Harriett rolled her eyes. "Max has to sit through conversations like _that_, and Clary is with child. That beats going on tour." She shrugged and Clary beamed in satisfaction.

"Sparta, I didn't know you stayed last night?" Magnus said, and Clary wouldn't have known who he was talking to if he wasn't looking at Simon directly. "For the thirtieth time it's Simon" He grumbled and Magnus waved his words away. "Where did you sleep?" He asked curiously, and Simon's head perked up slightly, and if Clary wasn't paying such close attention she wouldn't have noticed the way Isabelle's body froze for a quick second while Simon responded.

"Clary's room." He said clearing his throat. _He was lying? Why would he-_ Clary's eyes widened and she stared between Simon and Isabelle, her mouth hanging wide open. She wanted to burst out laughing but she held it back by forcing out a cough. Jace gave her a questioning look, probably checking to see if she was ok, but she waved him away.

Simon and Isabelle hooked up last night. Holy shit. Jace and Alec were going to be pissed, but Clary was absolutely ecstatic.

**XXXXXX**

After breakfast Jace and Clary went back up to his room and put in a movie. Jace was still tired from the day before and Clary didn't seem to want to argue with just taking it easy all day. He had a surprise for her but he was waiting on a call back from Michael before he would officially let her know what it was.

The anxiousness built up in his chest, forced him in and out of sleep, for a couple hours before he finally gave up. Clary was flipping through the channels on TV when Jace pushed himself up so he rested against the headboard beside her. She stopped on a channel playing reruns of 'That's 70's Show' and Jace chortled to himself.

"What?" Clary asked a bemused smile on her face, as she turned to look at him. "Nothing," Jace said shaking his head. "It's just...my mom used to never let me watch this because she said it would put many bad ideas in my head." He laughed again and Clary looked at him curiously, as if debating on what she should say.

"Yeah, my dad didn't let me watch TV when I was younger." She said scrunching up her face. "He said it was mind numbing junk, I used to sneak over to Simon's house when a program I wanted to see was on." She laughed at the memory and Jace saw a flicker of remembrance flash through her emerald eyes.

"My dad used to sneak me into the garage that he turned into his man cave and let me watch the hunting channel with him, because my mom blocked it on my TV." Jace nodded, biting down on his lip as the memories rushed back into his mind. He kept them at bay for so long that he forgot the sting of sorrow they caused when he allowed himself to remember.

"At least he did when he was home." Jace said with a shrug and Clary looked at him cautiously. Last night she said she wanted to know who his real parents were, and so he was going to tell her. No matter how badly he wanted to keep it inside, she needed to know if they were going to work out anymore bumps in the road.  
But now wasn't the time or place to tell her everything. "My parents both died." Jace huffed out and Clary nodded pursing her lips together and scooting closer to him.

"One day I will tell you more I just-not right now." He said and Clary nodded understandingly. "Ok," She whispered

"Maryse and Robert were my dad's best friends and my legal God parents so I moved in with them. When I turned 18 I inherited my family's fortune and this house. Harriett was around me my whole life, she was there through everything, so they agreed to let her stay with us as well. And when I moved out, she came with me, along with Hodge, who was no longer needed at the Lightwood's."

"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to." Clary whispered her eyes sparkling. "Yeah I do" He shrugged and choked back the burning sensation in his throat. "You told me you wanted to know about my real parents. And you deserve to know. It's just not the time or place for it right now." Clary crawled onto his lap and strattled his legs.

"I'm sorry" She muttered quietly pressing her forehead to his and he shrugged. "It was ten years ago." He said nonchalantly but Clary stayed pressed against him.

"But they were your parents." She croaked and Jace smoothed his hands against the small of her back. "I know" He breathed. "But I'm ok now." He said forcing a smile and pulled back away from Clary so she could see his whole face. Lightly she pecked his lips and he smiled. "Promise?" She asked pouting slightly.

"If I promise do I get another kiss?" He asked cheekily wiggling his eyebrows. "Jace" Clary whined drawing out the 'a' his name. "Fine, yes I promise I'm ok." He laughed and she did in fact kiss him again. Her lips were sweet, he could almost still taste the remanence of french toast as their tongues grazed along each other. She moved her hips in small circles against Jace's pelvis causing his fingers to grip at her thighs tightly.

"Damn girl" Jace laughed pulling away from Clary. "If you keep pawing at me like this I'm going to start thinking you only want me for my body." He teased and Clary blinked innocently. "You were at the doctor's yesterday, I can't help it. Hormones." She shrugged and held up her hands in defense, tilting her head to the side. "I didn't say I had a problem with it." Jace snickered and Clary's lips were back on his.

As if on cue Jace's phone began to ring and he let out a defeated groan. "Ignore it" Clary growled against his lips but Jace knew that it was Michael and he needed to answer it. "I can't" Jace muttered back, pulling away reluctantly. "Yes, you can. Just ignore it." Clary said adamantly.

"I'm so sorry" Jace said reaching for his phone. "Jace!" Clary whined slumping down into a sitting position.

"One second" He said holding up a finger as he pressed the phone to his ear. "Hey what's the verdict?" Jace asked as soon as he clicked the answer button. "I got one. You're lucky that this city loves you so much goldilocks." Michael said a hint of agitation in his voice but Jace didn't care. He was grinning from ear to ear. "You're the best Michael" He said with a chuckle and Michael grumbled something incoherent under his breath. "Just don't be late in the morning." He said finally said and hung up without another word.

"What was so important?" Clary asked her arms crossed against her chest. "That was Michael." Jace smiled and Clary gawked at him, clearly annoyed. "This is the last day I get to see you for a month and a half, and you answered the phone for Michael?" Her tone rose a few octaves and her eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

"Well, that's what it was about." Jace said and Clary cocked her head to one side in confusion. "You're coming with me to L.A for a week," He said with a shrug.

"And before you say anything to protest the idea, I just had Michael get you a ticket on a sold out flight. He literally had to schmooze every major airline manager just to get you this ticket." He paused and Clary opened her mouth to speak. "And the doctor said it was fine for you to travel. And it's only for a week so you won't have to pack much." He smiled triumphantly but Clary glowered at him.

"Are we going to fight right now? Because if so, can we skip all the yelling bullshit and get right to the making up part. Because last night was pretty amazing" He grinned cheekily and he could see Clary trying to hold back a smile, and eventually she let one slip through. "Now where were we?" Jace asked sliding his hands up Clary's legs but she pulled away.

"I have to go and pack" She said moving off of Jace's lap.

"What?" He grimaced reaching out to grab hold of Clary's arm but she had already slipped off the bed. "Oh my god, I have to tell Izzy." She said scraping her hair back into a loose pony tail. "I think I need to go shopping." Clary said tapping a finger to her chin. "Clary" Jace whined and she stopped in her tracks.

"Hmmm?" She hummed turning to look at Jace. He motioned to himself and arched his eyebrows upward expectantly.

"Aw, babe I'm sorry." She said and for a second Jace thought she was going to come back but, she just stood there. "Maybe later" She shrugged and his head fell back against the headboard as he let out a low groan.

He should've ignored the phone call.


	14. Chapter 13 ADDITIONAL SCENE

So because of the great feed back I have been getting on my last chapter, I decided to post a small snippet from Chapter 13.

It is important to the plot but I won't be able to fit it into Chapter 14 comfortably so I'm just going to post it was a sort of part two.

So I hope you like it!

****I DO NOT OWN THE NAMES THEY BELONG TO THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES AND CASSANDRA CLARE****

* * *

"Oh my god!" Isabelle squealed bouncing up and down on her bed as she sat indian style in front of Clary. "He told he loved you, and now you're going on tour with him?" Isabelle placed a hand over her heart and Clary rolled her eyes with a laugh.

"I'm not going on tour with him, I'm going with him for a week to L.A while he does a bunch of promo stuff. Then I'm coming back here," She said grumbling out the second part, scrunching up her nose slightly. "And i'm going to be all alone in this ginormous place"

"Actually you probably won't be..." Isabelle said and Clary looked at her confused, scrunching up her forehead. "Why is that?" She asked quizzically and Izzy shrugged.

"My mom and dad have been on the fritz lately. When she is home he is at work when he is home we come to visit Jace." Izzy heaved out a heavy sigh, her body rising and falling as she inhaled and exhaled. "I don't get why they don't just get a divorce already." She said rolling her eyes.

"My mom wants to stay here to 'look after the house while Jace is away'" Izzy said holding her fingers up to make air quotations.

"Oh.." Clary said not really sure if she should comfort Isabelle or just let the topic slide. "So I figured I would stay too, I mean, you'll need company I'm guessing, and a lot of my work is in the city anyway." She shrugged and smiled at Clary brightly. It was odd how quickly they became friends.

Clary never had a real girl friend before and from the way Isabelle acted most of the time she hadn't really had one either, they both needed each other in a weird way.

"Are you sure you aren't just staying here so you can see Simon?" Clary teased quirking up an eyebrow and Izzy's body tensed. "Why would you say that?" She asked immediately and Clary laughed at how fast she blurted her response out.

"He didn't sleep in my room last night." Clary said with a smirk. "I checked this morning. And I don't think he was with Magnus and Alec." Isabelle's face was actually turning a shade of red and Clary couldn't help but smile in satisfaction, she was right about them hooking up last night.

"Please don't tell Jace and Alec, it only happened twice and-"

"Twice?!" Clary gasped her jaw falling open, and her eyes widening. "It happened before last night?" She asked with a laugh and Isabelle covered her face with her hands. "We were drunk, he's cute, we're both single. It was dumb, I know, but hey..." Isabelle shrugged and one corner or her mouth lifted. "It was amazing" She said and Clary covered her ears.

"Ok no!" She gagged. "You don't want to know about me and Jace, I don't want to know about you and Simon. Let's keep those two things private shall we?" Isabelle nodded in agreement.

"So you aren't going to tell Jace right? Or Alec? Magnus already knows and I made him swear to secrecy. Don't think just because you're pregnant I won't find a way to hurt you if you tell." Izzy warned pointing a skinny finger in Clary's face.

"Iz, I promise." Clary laughed giving her a comforting smile. "I just can't believe you and Simon..." Her sentence trailed off and she squealed like a giddy school girl. "Oh shut up" Izzy said pushing Clary's shoulder playfully.

Clary laughed and pulled her knees into her chest. "So, I was thinking we could go shopping today since I have like no clothes to wear for the next week-"

"Say no more" Izzy said interrupting Clary and holding up her hands. "There is this really cute maternity store that me and Magnus pass like everyday and I've been dying to take you there." She hopped of the bed and Clary watched her dart around to grab some clothes for herself.

"Iz I don't want to look like those old mom's who where khaki maternity pants and baby-doll tops." Clary whined and Isabelle stopped rummaging through her drawers and turned to look at Clary.

"The fact that you think I would take you somewhere that sold khakis is insulting." She muttered holding a hand to her chest acting as if Clary had actually said something offensive. Clary rolled her eyes and chuckled. "You're right, what was I thinking." She muttered sliding off of Isabelle's bed.

"I'm just going to need like half and hour to get ready." Izzy said with her back turned to Clary. Half an hour in Isabelle's book meant an hour and a half so Clary blew out a deep breath and nodded. "Just let me know when you're ready" She said as she exited the room.

* * *

It's short I know but it's just a small little snippet that I thought needed to be in there because of what Izzy says about her parents and why she is going to be staying longer.

Plus SIZZY! :)

Keep reviewing it makes me so happy!

Thank you all so much!


	15. Meet the Queen Bee

Ok I have three VERY important points to make before you read this chapter!

FIRST: This chapter was hell to get through because I know what I want to happen next but getting there was so tricky, so I hope I did the lead-up, justice.  
It's kind of short and all over the place, but like I said...this chapter caused me many a-sleepless-night trying to figure out what to wright.

SECOND: This series is now officially a crossover series because I added some characters from the Infernal Devices books in here. Couldn't help myself.

THIRD: (_most important_): I take pride in making this story as unique as I possibly can, and not plagiarizing other people's ideas. But seeing how I made Jace a famous singer, I was not about to write an entire album from my own head. So I have collaged together different songs from bands that I have based Jace's band off of and used them for his 'album'

I came up with the album title myself...it wasn't that hard actually..(haha) but the songs that I mention ARE NOT MINE! **I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE SONGS I MENTION IN THIS STORY! **

Oh and I am sorry if you do not like the bands I use as references.

But I hope you enjoy this chapter! Remember to review please I love hearing all of your feedback! (:

****I DO NOT OWN THE NAMES IN THIS STORY THEY BELONG TO THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS AND CASSANDRA CLARE****

_Songs mentioned:_**  
**Skyway Avenue - We the Kings

Stranger - Secondhand Serenade (acoustic version)

* * *

That morning her and Jace had to wake up at nine a.m to catch their flight at noon. However after, three hours of running back and forth from the bathroom and Jace's bed from morning sickness Clary collected a mere five hours of sleep. So the twelve hour plane ride was horrible.

Even with the first class upgrade that Jace got, Clary was uncomfortable in her seat. She didn't like being in small confined spaces especially when that small confined space could crash and burn into the ground at any moment. Jace, however, had no problem sleeping during the flight, and his snores confirmed that for Clary. There was a constant fluttering in her stomach, almost like something was crawling on her, and after about the fifth wave of it, she was starting to get annoyed.

The airport was packed with fans, paparazzi, and more fans, so it took them at least an hour to get out to their car. And even then people were running after their SUV trying to get Jace to stop and sign autographs. With the L.A traffic at an almost stand still it took another hour to get to their hotel and Clary felt like she was going to pull her hair out or punch someone in the face.

So when they finally did get to their hotel suite Clary made a b-line for their bedroom.

"The guys want to go out to dinner, tonight when we all get settled." Jace called from the adjoining bathroom as Clary sat on the side of the bed and fell backwards so her feet were dangling off. "Ok?" She yelled back furrowing her brows together. "Why do I need to go?"

Jace emerged from the bathroom, in just a pair of basketball shorts, apparently he thought it was too hot for a t-shirt and Clary wasn't complaining. "Because Will is bringing Tessa and Seb is bringing Seelie and I thought it would be nice to have my girlfriend there too" He said softly making his way over to the bed.

"I thought Sebastian was trying to hook up with Izzy like two days ago?" Clary questioned and Jace tensed up, which made her want to laugh at how protective he was of his sister. "Seb and Seelie are kind of an on again off again type of couple." He shrugged and leaned over her so a hand was on wither side of her head. "Do I have to go though?" She whined scrunching up her face.

"Yes, you do." He said matter-of-factly. "You're lucky I like you so much" Clary grumbled and Jace smiled leaning down to kiss her. "You love me." He muttered against her mouth. "I'm beginning to question my judgement on that" She teased pulling away from him. He chuckled pushing himself back up to a standing position.

"I'll tell Seb we're coming then" He said pausing a second, Clary assumed he was waiting for her protest but she knew either way he was going to guilt her into going so she just rolled all the way onto the bed and muttered an agreement back before drifting off into a deep dreamless sleep.

**XXXXXX**

Clary wasn't sure what she was exactly expecting when she thought about Sebastian and Will's girlfriends, but it didn't matter because anything she thought in her mind would have been blown to oblivion as soon as she saw them.

Tessa was beautiful, with long dark brown hair that seemed to curl perfectly in a natural state, and big grey eyes. She wasn't tall but she wasn't nearly as short as Clary, and her small frame was accompanied by a very well endowed chest and ass to boot, not that Clary was looking or anything.

Seelie was another story. She had white blonde hair that fell down to her hips, her eyes were piercing blue almost like Will's. She towered over Clary, she might have even been taller than Isabelle, and her small frame fit perfect in the tight black dress she was sporting that night at dinner.

Clary felt extremely self conscious in her green fit and flare summer dress when her and Jace showed up to the restaurant/bar that they had all agreed to eat at. It was a lot fancier than Clary anticipated and she knew everyone was trying not to look at her stomach, although Seelie didn't have a problem eyeing her down from head to toe.

They had all eaten and Clary stayed silent for most of it. Occasionally they would ask her questions like how she liked the L.A weather compared to New Yorks' but nothing of great substance. Then Will insisted that the boys' get a drink to celebrate the starting of their tour and even though Jace hesitated Clary let him go because she already had a sense that they were all skeptical about her.

Seelie and Tessa seemed to be immersed in their own conversation, one that did not include Clary, or anything that Clary knew about. To say she felt like an outsider would be an understatement. She felt like an alien.

The fluttering in her stomach had started up again causing her to constantly be brushing at her baby bump, which seemed to attract the girls' attention. "So Clary," Seelie started looking at her from across the table, she could feel her cheeks start to redden, why was she so nervous? She was just a girl, a very pretty, skinny, perfect looking girl, but a girl none the less. Clary smiled in response and waited for her to continue.

"What do you do exactly?" Seelie asked quirking an eyebrow and Clary looked back at her confused, she wasn't sure what she meant but assumed she it was something along the lines of what occupation Clary was currently in. "I mean, you obviously aren't a model."

"Seelie" Tessa gasped and Clary felt her cheeks burn even brighter. "What?" The blonde snapped widening her eyes. "She is like five foot...maybe. Way too short." She clarified although Clary got the feeling that, that isn't what she meant. "So do you sing, act, dance, write...What?" She asked again

"I uh-" She cleared her throat and shook her head. "I was in law school..." Clary nodded wringing her hands together under the table, scanning the crowd for Jace silently begging him to come back.

"You _were_?" Seelie asked with a slight sound of amusement in her voice. "Yeah, I didn't renew my acceptance for the fall this year." Clary clarified, pursing her lips together. "Yeah, I mean I can see why you didn't" She said with a scoff and arched both eyebrows, taking a sip from her drink.

"Excuse me?" Clary said narrowing her eyes but Tessa interrupted before Seelie could say anything else.

"Jace said you like to draw." She said softly with a smile and Clary almost for a second let the tension in her chest unwind. "Uh, yeah...I-I guess so" She shrugged looking down at her lap and then back up at the girls. "Are you good?" Tessa asked with a smile, Clary could tell she was just talking so Seelie wouldn't and she kind of appreciated that. "I'd like to think so but..." Clary shook her head. "I'm no Joe Fenton"

"Who?" Seelie snapped creasing her forehead. "He's an artist." Clary said quietly sinking back into her chair.

"Well, I guess I wouldn't work either if I had Sebastian trapped under me too." Seelie breezed and Tessa elbowed her in the side. "What? It isn't like Jace is going to leave her now. She is having his child. I swear he never would've left Aline if she hadn't-"

"Seelie!" Tessa finally yelled and a few people in the restaurant turned to look at them. "Who is Aline?" Clary asked quietly leaning forward in her chair curiously. "It doesn't matter" Tessa said turning back to Clary, looking at her like she was an orphaned child.

"Jace's ex girlfriend" Seelie said cooly and Clary felt a bomb go off in her chest. "They were together for almost two years, but she cheated on him. He was practically pining after her for months after the breakup. And then you came along." She smiled sweetly but Clary sensed the annoyance and Tessa had the bridge of her nose pinched between two fingers.

Clary didn't say anything after that, and she let Seelie sit there, a satisfied smirk festering on her face as Clary held back her rage. It wasn't worth getting worked up about and embarrassing herself and Jace in front of all these people. So she bit her tongue and ordered another plate of cheesecake to drown her sorrows in.

**XXXXXX**

The next morning Jace had a radio interview to attend with a small acoustic gig after, followed by a cover shoot and interview for Glamour magazine, and a taping of a late night talk show to promote the album, and finally one last band rehearsal before a benefit concert that was going to be held two days from now in SanFransico

Apparently dinner didn't go exactly as he anticipated it the night before, Clary was still a little pissed off that he made her go, but she would eventually get over it.

He knew that it was inevitable that interviewers were going to ask about Clary, no matter how many contracts and agreements Michael had them sign they would always find a loop hole, or a way to make sure she was snuck into the subject. So Jace was beyond nervous about how Clary would react to what he was about to do.

The interview started off steady, the way every single one of them does.

"So Jace you're new album _Things We Say in the Dark_, and your first single Skyway Avenue are both number one in the charts, how do you feel about that?" The interviewer, Eric Hall asks through the microphone.

"This album is something that me and my band have really worked hard on, we wrote every song and came up with every melody, and are really satisfied with the outcome, and seems like everyone else is too" Jace chuckled and Eric did as well.

"Yeah, it does seem that way. Now, I know you must love every song on the album, but is there a certain song on there that is your favorite?" Eric asked, and Jace already had the answer figured out in his head but played it off as if he really had to think. "Um, it would probably have to be Stranger. We kind of had to sneak that one in last minute and it's just a stripped acoustic version of the song, so it's pretty special." He said clearing his throat and taking a sip of water.

"Yeah, yeah I've heard that one it's great!" Eric said enthusiastically, Jace could tell he was lying but just smiled and nodded his head. "Now is it written about a certain someone?" He asked wiggling his eyebrows, even though they were on radio and only Jace could see it. This was it. This was the loop hole that Eric was trying to work, and Jace had to pretend not to know he was playing right into it.

Michael told him to just go with the flow, answer the questions truthfully and if it comes out, then so be it, so Jace nodded his head in response. "Uh yeah, it is actually" He said wiping his mouth of any excess water that collected there.

Eric nodded but didn't seem to want to take the question further. "You didn't come to L.A alone did you?" Eric inquired and Jace held back an eye roll. "Nope, I brought my girlfriend with me" He said very bluntly, a smile plastered on his face as Eric nodded, fixing the huge headphones on his head. "You two seem to be getting along great" Eric beamed and Jace nodded, it was getting closer.

"Yeah, she is great. I'm really lucky to have been able to find someone who understands me being in this industry even though she isn't in it as well. She's amazing" Jace said with a laugh brushing some fallen hair out of his eyes.

"That is wonderful!" Eric clapped. "Now I'm sure everyone at home is wondering. I am even wondering. Is there a congratulations in order for the two of you?" Eric inquired and Jace wanted to jump out of his seat and rejoice. Finally he got on with it. Took him long enough to get there didn't it?

"Uh..." Jace laughed and played it off about as cooly as he could. No matter how much he rehearsed this moment nothing could prepare him for telling millions of people about his girlfriend's pregnancy especially in their very fragile situation. "I suppose there is, yeah" Jace said finally with another laugh.

"Really?" Eric seemed surprised, his jaw nearly hit the floor. "There is going to be a mini Jace Herondale running around the streets of the city in the near future?" Eric asked again and Jace watched Michael, from the plexy glass window that separated them, nod slowly. "Well, it could always be a girl" He answered with a shrug and Eric must have hit a button that spored celebration because horns and whistles started going off in Jace's ears and made him wince back a little bit.

"Well you heard it hear first folks. We'll be back with Z104 and Jace Herondale right after the break." Eric signed off and pushed the microphone aside holding out his hand in a congratulatory manor to Jace.

"If I would have known it would have been that easy to get out of you, I would have opened with that question" He joked and Jace laughed through his teeth. It didn't matter if it was the right thing to do, or if Michael had put him up to it, it only mattered if Clary heard the confirmation and how she felt about it, and Jace was preparing for the worst.

**XXXXXX**

Clary was sitting sideways on the large fluffy hotel couch, her feet spread out and a book in her hands, when Jace slumped through the door. "Hey" He said quietly when the door swung shut behind him. "Hey" Clary replied not looking up from the book.

Jace walked around the side of the couch, lifted her feet slightly and fell down onto the cushions plopping her legs back into his lap. "Long day huh?" Clary said with a small laugh, her eyes scanning the pages. She had heard the radio interview that Jace gave that morning, and figured he would be pretty nervous about talking to her about it, so why not make him sweat it out for just a little bit longer?

"Uh, yeah" Jace said clearing his throat and massaging his hands over Clary's feet. "I had a few interviews today..." He started but his voice trailed off. "Hmm, I heard" Clary muttered with a nod, smacking her lips together.

"Clary I-I know you said you wanted to wait but, Michael said it was for the best, and they were going to keep asking me. I get it if you're mad at me, but I just want you to know that it wasn't easy. I didn't do it to make you mad, that's the last thing I want to do-" Jace's words cut off when Clary burst into a fit of laughter.

"It's fine Jace" She sighed finally looking up from her lap. "I mean I'm slowly blowing up like a balloon, it's kind of obvious" She placed a hand on her stomach and closed the book she was reading. Jace's flushed cheeks were slowly turning back to their normal color and a look of almost disbelief crossed his face.

"You don't care?" He asked and Clary shrugged. "I mean of course I care that millions of people know about my personal life. But you can't help it" She smiled and Jace's hands moved slowly up her legs. "How long were you going to make me think you were mad?" Jace chuckled widening his eyes and furrowing his eyebrows.

Clary shrugged and smile innocently. "Well, I was going to wait for the tears but I decided not to be that cruel" She joked and Jace poked her in the side making a laugh bubble up from her throat.

"I was thinking though" Clary said softly pulling her legs off of Jace's lap "Since you don't have anything else to do today, and tomorrow is your only day off..." Her sentence trailed off and Jace looked at her curiously.

"Yeah?" He chuckled quirking up an eyebrow. "We could order room service..." She tucked her legs under herself and knelt up, scooting her way closer to him.

"Mhmm" Jace hummed, leaning further back into the couch as she placed her hands on his shoulders and swung her leg over to the other side of his body so she was straddling him. "And we could rent a movie..."

"We could" Jace said with a smirk, his hands slipping up to Clary's thighs.

"And we could do this..." Clary smirked slyly and bent down to kiss him, her hair falling down around their faces. "I like this" Jace mumbled, nipping at her bottom lip. "Thought you would" Clary giggled, her lips pressing urgently against Jace's as his hands worked tentatively under her shirt.

Just as his hands stopped over her stomach, the fluttering sensation rolled through her again, she would have waved it off and ignored it but Jace pulled away so quickly it made Clary's breath catch in her throat. "What?" She gasped blinking her eyes at few times, confused as Jace stared down at her stomach.

_Oh._ Clary thought to herself. "You felt that?" She squeaked, her shoulders slumping as Jace nodded slowly. "Was that..." His voice trailed off and Clary bit down on her lip lightly.

"I think so...It's been happening a lot lately so I started reading that book your mom got me and it said that I should be able to start feeling them now." She said shifting on Jace's lap so she could get a better look at his face. "Are you-"

"Do you think they can...like...hear...us?" He asked his eyes still locked on her stomach as his hands roamed around the protruding plane. "Well...the book says they can start hearing the further along I get but I'm pretty sure that I'm around that time." She nodded and Jace sucked in a sharp breath, finally looking up to meet her gaze.

Hesitantly she leaned in closer to him kissing the corner of his mouth, pulling away just centimeters from his face before reconnecting their lips. Jace's hands finally moved from her stomach, cupping at her hips as she moved them in a slow circular motion. A low groan rattled through Jace's chest and he pulled away resting his forehead to Clary's.

"How about that pizza?" He muttered and Clary kissed down his throat. "Order one" She murmured into the crook of his neck.

"I think I'll just go get one." He said his voice peaking up a few decibels. "It will only take a few minutes." He shrugged clearing his throat as he wiggled out from under Clary, making her fall back onto the couch on her butt. "But what about our _much needed_ Jace and Clary time?" She whined pushing out her bottom lip.

"I'll be back in a little bit babe don't worry" He smiled ruffling his hair with his hand before zipping his hoodie back up and grabbing his car keys.

Clary's mouth fell open in complete disbelief. When did Jace ever refuse sex? Never...that's when. So why now? Did her stomach repulse him that much? Was he feeling regretful? "Jace" She called after him but the door closed before she knew whether or not he could hear her.

After sitting on the couch staring behind her at the door for what was probably a solid five minutes she decided to go back to the _'What to Expect When You're Expecting'_ book on the coffee table. But because she couldn't help herself she looked up at the clock every so often, it took Jace a half and hour before he reentered the hotel room with a pizza and an array of movies in hand.

Clary wanted to ask him what his sudden change of plans was for but she didn't want to be making it all up in her head so she sat silently while he picked out the movie and scarfed down half the pizza. "I love you." She said almost desperately, staring up at him as the beginning credits started flashing on the TV screen.

Jace looked down at her and smiled, his regular traffic stopping smile and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I love you too" He breathed close to her ear, wrapping an arm around her to pull her closer to him.

He wasn't acting any different? Was he just tired and hungry? Maybe Clary _was_ over-reacting. That's what she was going to tell herself, because whatever other reason Clary had in her head was not something she wanted to think about.

So she snuggled into Jace's side and fought off the bad thoughts, as his fingers grazed up and down her side and the TV screen flashed different colors. He said he loved her. He wasn't lying...right?


	16. Talk Shhh Get Hit

So I hope you guys like this chapter.

The next ones will be a little more fast paced considering it will be when Jace is gone.  
I won't be having a lot of Jace's POV (some just not a lot) but I also might mix it up and throw in an Isabelle POV and/or Simon as well just because their relationship is starting to get...a little more serious (;

I want to try and finish this story by the time my summer is over (August 23rd) So i'm going to try and update more frequently like I was in the beginning, just don't take my word for it. We'll just have to see how that goes.

Thank you for loving this story because I love writing it!

P.S. Sorry if there are any errors, I'm proof-reading this without glasses on and at midnight so there could be a lot of mistakes.

**Song Mentioned:**

**Gone So Young by Amber Pacific**

****I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE NAMES THEY BELONG TO CASSANDRA CLARE AND THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES****

* * *

It had been two days since Jace left Clary hanging, and it was like he made it his mission not to get too close to her. Every time she would try to take things further than an extremely heated make out he would pull away and make up some excuse to leave the hotel room for at least a half an hour. And every night he would go out with the guys.

He tried explaining it as pre-tour rituals that Clary wouldn't understand but she was understanding it just fine. He was avoiding her and she had no idea why. She even went as far as calling Simon to beg him to get her a ticket home on the second night Jace went out, but he told her to talk to him like a responsible adult and quit running away from her problems.

Why did he have to be such a grown up?

It was frustrating Clary to no end, but it seemed that confronting him would just cause a fight, and she didn't want them to part from each other on a bad note, so she acted like it didn't effect her.

Now they were at Jace's benefit concert for a local Children's Hospital, apparently Will, who Clary didn't realize was Jace's cousin until the day before, had a best friend who had died of cancer a couple months back and it was something they were really passionate about.

They were in a private box over looking the entire arena and the sight was amazing. It would have been an enjoyable experience if the entire time Clary wouldn't have had to listen to Seelie talk about her newest modeling gig, her and Sebastian's late night rendezvous', and some boring story about how she had lunch with Aline the day before.

Clary did all she could not to let it get under skin but the girl was a bitch and it was starting to get old really quickly.

Jace had just hit the stage and they were playing a song called _Gone So Young_, from their new album, when she slipped out to use the restroom. Her bladder must have shrunken down to the size of an acorn from the amount of times she had to go to the bathroom lately.

When she was in the bathroom she could still feel the vibrations from the concert through the floor, and muffled sound of Jace's voice coming through the walls. She was just about to finish up when the bathroom door swung open with a loud bang and two familiar voices flooded the room.

"I don't know why you're defending her she isn't our _friend_" she heard a one of the voices slur.  
Clary fell back onto the toilet and held her breath in the stall, trying to peek through the crack by the door. _Seelie_. She should have guessed.

"We don't even know her" another voice sighed and Clary assumed it was Tessa. Well, wasn't this a scene from a teen movie. The outcast is in the bathroom stall while the mean girls unknowingly talk about her right in front of her.

"I don't want to know her. She isn't like us, she just some Huss that jumped into bed with a celebrity, probably hoping to get her name in a magazine, or on a blog site." Seelie seethed and Clary clenched her jaw tightly. From what Clary could see Tessa just shook her head.

"Why Jace even admitted it was his is beyond me" Seelie sighed checking her makeup in the mirror. That was it, Clary stood up and brushed down her skirt, shoving the stall door open with a loud bang.

"Oh Clary, we were just talking about you" Seelie said in an annoyingly sweet voice as she turned around from the mirror.

"What is your problem?" Clary sneered, her eyebrows drawn together, and her eyes narrowed in a scowl.

"Isn't it obvious?" Seelie asked with a laugh and Tessa tried to interject but Clary held a hand up to stop her. "Look, I don't know why you don't like me but-"

"You don't know why?" Seelie laughed again, hitting her hand against her bare upper thigh. "God you are dumb aren't you?" She snarled the fake smile on her face turning to a complete bitch scowl. "Aline is our friend" She motioned between her and Tessa. "Her and Jace were about to get back together, and they were happy. And then you came along."

Clary could feel her face turning red and her fists clenched at her sides. "If it wasn't for you and your little bastard-"

Turns out Clary would never find out what Seelie was going to say because as soon as _that_ word came out of her mouth, Clary's hand swung up and made immediate contact with Seelie's face.

"You bitch!" Seelie shrieked and Tessa's hand flew up over her mouth to hold back a gasp, or a laugh, Clary couldn't really tell and honestly didn't care. Her hand stung a little but she just shook it away and turned on her heel to leave.

"He doesn't love you!" Seelie yelled to Clary's back. "Fuck off" Clary grumbled grabbing the handle to the bathroom door and swinging it open violently before storming past the threshold and back down the winding hallway.

**XXXXXX**

After the concert Jace was bombarded backstage by a flailing and angry Seelie.

From the decibels at which she was screaming he could only make out a few words but he got the gist when he heard "Girlfriend" "bitch" and "slapped me"

Jace wouldn't have believed it if she wasn't sporting a bright red welt on the side of her face coincidently the size of Clary's hand.

Sebastian took Seelie away trying to calm her down but she just dramatically pushed him away and stormed off beckoning Tessa to follow.

"How bad was it?" Jace asked Tessa before she turned to leave.

She shrugged and Jace thought he saw the corner of her mouth lift into an almost smile. "I would talk to Clary" she sighed finally leaving.

Why would Clary hit her?

There had to be a good reason she was exactly a violent person although Jace did receive a fair share of slaps to the bad of the head from her she never actually got violent.

When they pulled up to the hotel te guys made there share of jokes to him about being careful not to get killed by Clary and he just laughed them off.

Slowly he made his way up to the hotel room, taking the stairs just in case Clary needed those few extra seconds to cool off.

And when he slipped inside all the lights were off and he didn't see Clary anywhere until he reached the bedroom. She was sitting in the bed, the lamp on the nightstand dimmed to a perfect reading level, her face buried in a book.

Inhaling deeply and running a tired hand through his hair he walked slowly into the room.

"You didn't go out with the guys?" She asked immediately when she felt his presence in the room. He let out the breath he was holding in and shrugged off his hoodie.

"Why did you hit Seelie" he asked ignoring her initial question, walking up to her side of the bed.

"I think I asked you a question first" she retorted with a sarcastic laugh but Jace just looked down at her unwaveringly.

"She's just a bitch" Clary shrugged and focused back on the book in her lap.

"Well i know that, but you're going to have to elaborate" Jace said adamantly, crossing his arms over his chest and widening his stance. Clary grumbled under her breath. "She just said some stuff..." Her voice trailed off and Jace arched both eyebrows expectantly.

"Like what?" He asked.

Clary didn't say anything. She just continued to stare down at the book in her lap even though Jace could tell she wasn't reading.

"I'm going to stand here until you tell me. I don't care how long it takes. There has to be a reason you hit her Clary and I know that you don't just hit people because you don't like them, otherwise when we first met I would've gotten my ass handed to me-"

"It's not like I gave her a black eye or a fat lip! I just slapped her," She finally said snapping the book closed.

Jace couldn't help but laugh and she looked at him sharply. "No but you left a pretty mean welt across her cheek" he chuckled, but Clary's face stayed the same.

"She called them bastards" Clary quietly with a defeated sigh.

"What?" He asked his forehead creasing for a second he forgot about everything but it hit him hard in the chest when he realized what she meant.

"Like when you have a baby out wedlock..." She clarified even though Jace knew what she was saying. "That's one of the last things my dad said to me at that stupid picnic thing...So I hit her." She shrugged and blew out an exasperated sigh. And Jace just stared at her, wanting to reach out and pull her into him.

"Clary, she's wrong, they aren't-"

"Yes they are Jace." Clary said meeting his gaze. "We aren't married, we didn't even know each other when you knocked me up. What she said is true, I'm just sick of people saying it." Jace bit down hard on the inside of his cheek. He could see her eye shimmering from the tears that Clary was choking back and his stomach knotted up.

He couldn't argue his way out of this one. Technically it was true but that's not how he felt about it so it shouldn't matter. He hooked a finger under her chin and turned her face up so they were almost eye level. "She is a bitch" He smiled and Clary nodded eagerly.

Bending down he pressed his lips to hers softly, cupping her chin in his hand still so she couldn't pull away even if she wanted to, but by the way her hand slid into his hair, Jace could tell that wouldn't be a problem.

Clary started leaning backwards, pulling Jace down with her, one hand tugging on the front of his t-shirt the other on the back of his neck. He scrambled to kick off his shoes in time to be pulled fully on top of Clary, his knees between her thighs.

He felt the knot in his stomach, his heart rate begin to speed up, and the familiar tingling sensation her fingertips left on his skin, as she pushed his shirt further and further up his stomach.

And as much as he didn't want to, he pulled away, with a sharp breath. "What?" Clary breathed, her hands on his half exposed abdomen. "Nothing I just..." He paused and saw the defeat flicker through Clary's eyes. "You don't want to talk?" He said with an offering smile.

"What is the deal Jace?" Clary asked sharply and he looked down at her with his eyebrows furrowed together. "Huh?"

"Why have you been avoiding me?" She asked as if it was obvious. Well, it was obvious, he was avoiding getting too physically close to Clary the past few days, but the reason was to embarrassing for him to admit. "I-I haven't" He sputtered and Clary rolled her eyes.

"Oh right, because every guy wants to stop making out with his girlfriend so they can talk" She said in a mocking voice and Jace rolled over onto his back. "Am I that gross to you? Do you really not want to touch me that much?" She asked her voice filled with hurt and Jace felt a pang of anger run through him.

How could she think that? But then again, he hasn't really been giving her reason to believe other wise has he? "You are not gross Clary" He said pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and pointer finger. "Well, what is it then?" She huffed turning onto her side to face him.

"It's just that...the other day when I felt..." He pressed his palm to his stomach and Clary nodded, her eye brows arched upward expectantly.

"You said that they could probably hear us. And I'm assuming they can like...feel you move, and I don't want-I just-what if they can..." His sentence trailed off and his cheeks felt like they were on fire from embarressment, and if that wasn't enough Clary burst out into a fit of laughter.

Her hand flew up to her mouth and she stifled a giggle. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry it's just...you thought they could feel _that_?" Jace rubbed a hand over his face trying to hide the blush that was radiating on his cheeks.

"Jace, first of all, they are 16 week old fetuses, they can't_ feel_ anything. And second of all they don't know what _sex_ is" She let out another laugh and Jace shot her a warning look. "Don't make fun of me!" He whined pushing himself up into a sitting position, leaning against the headboard.

"I'm sorry, I'm not. It's just good to know I don't completely gross you out" She smiled leaning in to kiss him quickly on the lips.

"It's not like it was easy for me. I've had to take at least four cold showers to get myself back in check." Jace said with a low chuckle and Clary rolled her eyes. "That is your own fault, I take no blame for that." She said holding up her hands in defense.

"Maybe if you weren't just with me for my amazing body," Jace teased "And you weren't always trying to get me in bed with you" He added nudging her shoulder with his.

"Maybe if you didn't get me pregnant so I didn't have a billion different hormones running through my body" Clary retorted mockingly.

"Touché" Jace laughed glad that she didn't seem as upset by Seelie's words as she was before. They sat there, side by side, in silence for a little longer before Jace let out a deep exhale, puffing his cheeks out in the process. "What am I going to do without you for four months."

"I know what you better _not_ be doing" Clary said pointedly shifting her body so she was straddling his legs. Her gaze was hot on his face, and even though she said it in a slightly joking way, Jace sensed a small amount of worry.

"You don't think I'm going to cheat on you do you?" He asked furrowing his eyebrows together, squinting his eyes slightly. Clary just shrugged, giving Jace the answer he was _not_ hoping for. "I wouldn't do that to you..to us. I-I've never really been in a serious relationship before, and this is the first time that I won't be single when we go on tour..." Clary's shoulders stiffened and Jace cleared his throat.

"But, Things are different now. We're going to make it work." He finished and a small smile flickered onto Clary's lips.

"What about Aline?" She asked a little too innocently, and Jace's stomach jumped into his throat.

"Who told you about Aline?" He coughed out and Clary eyed him suspiciously. "She is no one, seriously, whatever you heard.." He paused and shook his head.

"I heard you dated her for two years" Clary said pushing the subject and Jace felt himself start to retreat and his body was starting to fill with a specific type of anger. Not towards Clary, actually not towards anyone in particular, more just a general anger at this sudden situation. "I would use the term 'dated' very loosely" Jace scoffed rolling his eyes and Clary shifted her weight around on him.

"So did you guys take a break when you went on tour or..." Her sentence trailed off as if she expected to Jace to understand where she was going, and he did, he just didn't like it. Him and Aline had a weird relationship, their rules for one another were different then most couples, but for those two years it worked for them.

Jace got to be single on tour and still have someone to share a bed with when he came home, and Aline got her start in the modeling industry from having her name strewn everywhere in the tabloids from being by Jace's side. It wasn't love, it wasn't that he liked being with her, it just worked. But explaining all that to Clary didn't feel right. He didn't want her thinking he was going to treat her like that.

Running a hand through his hair he let out a deep breath. "I really don't want to talk about my ex girlfriend right now." His fingers hooked around her waist and pulled her as close to him as her stomach would allow.

That seemed to take Clary's mind off of anything that she was curious about because her hands immediately moved from her sides to Jace's shoulders. "What do you want to do then?" She asked cheekily, a smile spread on her face.

Jace pressed his lips to hers, hard, his hands traveled up her sides and cupped around her neck pulling her down to him.

"You have meetings in the morning" She muttered against his lips and Jace pulled away for just a second. "I don't need a full eight hours of sleep" He grumbled and the smile that brightened Clary's face let him know that, that was apparently all she needed.

Her arms circled around Jace's neck, their lips connecting once more.

**XXXXXX**

Jace was gone by the time Clary woke up in the morning around ten thirty, with an ache in her stomach and heart burn that made her want to drink an entire gallon of water. When she checked her phone she saw that she had a message from Jace that he must've sent as soon as he left around five this morning.

_**Only have a morning radio show, signing, and a couple quick interviews. I'll be back this afternoon - J.**_

Clary smiled to herself and shook her head as she scrolled through the rest of her messages. She had a few missed calls and 'Call me back' texts from Izzy. So after she ordered breakfast she snuggled back into her bed, her phone pressed to her ear.

"You bitch" Izzy said as soon as she answered the phone.

"Hello to you too Iz" Clary laughed shaking her head, picking fluff from the comforter that covered her legs.

"It's all over the internet that you punched Seelie in the face!" She squeaked and Clary rolled her eyes. "I did not _punch_ her in the face" She corrected and heard Izzy chortle on the other end.

"You did hit her though?" Izzy asked curiously.

"I just slapped her, it's really no big deal." Clary said trying to hide her smile. She didn't like that she felt so good about hitting Seelie, but the girl was a bitch, and she kind of deserved it.

"_Just slapped her_?" Izzy said incredulously. "Clary, do you know how long I've been wanting to give that girl what she deserves? I am forever in debt to you for finally making my dream a reality!" Izzy said dramatically and Clary giggled, wiping a hand over her face.

"I just can't believe it's already all over the internet" Clary sighed sinking back into her pillow.

Izzy scoffed on the other line. "Oh please. Seelie probably had a sit down interview with every blogger that was at Jace's concert last night, just to tell them how much of a monster you are."

Clary's heart fell into her stomach. She didn't even think of that. How many more people were going to hate her now that they actually had something to hold against her. Seelie was popular in the blogging community. She was friends with a lot of fashion groupies on the internet, now Clary regretted ever loosing her temper with her.

Izzy must have sensed the sudden shift in mood because she cleared her throat.

"I mean...that's not what I meant, I just-she is really dramatic, I doubt people will believe her." She said in a not so convincing voice.

"Yeah..." Clary said slowly. "So um...how are you and Simon?" She asked trying to veer off the current subject.

"What?" Izzy said quickly with a nervous laugh to follow. "I mean, everything is good...like I said before you left, nothing is going on." Isabelle was talking through clenched teeth and Clary couldn't help but smile.

"Oh shut up! You like him" Clary said teasingly and Izzy stayed silent on the other end. "Are you with him right now?" She asked and Izzy just cleared her throat. "Aw, did you two have a sleep over?" She laughed and Izzy muttered something into the receiver.

"Just make sure you two are careful, the world is not ready for a mini-Simon to be running around reeking havoc any time soon." Clary said with chuckle.

"Well I thought the same about Jace, and here we are." Isabelle shot back defensively, and Clary laughed out loud this time. "I still think that about Jace" She said jokingly and this time Isabelle laughed.

There was a long pause and a shuffling sound coming from Isabelle's end of the line and then silence. Clary moved the phone away from her ear to check and see if they were still connected before pressing it back to her ear. "Izzy?" She asked furrowing her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I'm here. I just...I had to relocate." Izzy said in a hushed voice.

"Why are we whispering?" Clary asked mockingly.

"I think I like him Clary" Izzy blurted out, and Clary's back straightened, her eyes widening a bit in surprise.

"Who Jace?" She teased, and she heard Isabelle grumble under her breath.

"No. Clary. You know who I'm talking about." She seethed her voice still nothing above a whisper.

"I'm sorry Isabelle but you're going to have to refresh my memory." Clary pressed, smirking in satisfaction.

"Simon." Isabelle forced out as if it was the hardest thing she's ever had to say. "I think I like Simon."

"You just think you do? Or..." Clary's voice trailed off. "Damn it Clary!" Isabelle yelled and Clary laughed. "Ok I'm sorry. Have you told him yet?" She asked curiously and Izzy scoffed.

"I'm not telling him first." She said as if it was the craziest idea Clary had ever come up with. "Well then what are you going to do?" Clary asked and Izzy went silent for a second.

"That's what I need you for." She said innocently. "Oh, no. No. No. No no no. We are not in middle school Iz. I'm not going to ask Simon if he likes you, so he can tell me the answer and then I can tell you the answer, so you can tell me, to tell him, your answer." Clary said adamantly.

"Please Clary, I have never asked you for anything else. Please" Isabelle begged. "You made me go on that stupid date thing with you and Jace and Simon. Remember? That was hell for me!" She pointed out and Clary pinched the bridge of her nose between her pointer finger and thumb.

"Fine." Clary growled and the squeal that emanated through the phone from Izzy's end was enough to force Clary to pull the speaker away from her ear.

"Don't tell Jace!" Isabelle said very suddenly and Clary rolled her eyes. "I'm not stupid. Simon is my best friend, I don't want to see him get his ass kicked any more than you do" Clary chuckled slightly and Izzy sighed.

"Speaking of talking to Jace, you two are fine now? Simon told me you wanted to come home." Clary let out a deep breath and leaned back into the headboard. "Yeah, it's a bit of a long story, but we...worked through it in the end." Clary said simply but Isabelle was clearly not done prodding.

"Well what did he do?" She asked and Clary bit her lip nervously. "He uh...he thought that..the babies could uh, feel us..." She sputtered awkwardly.

"What? Why would that make him turn into an asshole?" She asked sounding kind of annoyed. "He wasn't being an asshole he just...did want to get too _physical_ with me because he thought that the babies could _feel_ us." Clary said clarifying and emphasizing the word this time.

"Oh...OH! Ew." Isabelle gagged when she realized what Clary meant. "I swear to God you guys are trying to make triplets or something" Izzy said, disgusted, and Clary laughed. "Yeah well, when you have a million different hormones running through your body, you tell me how easy it is to control yourself."

"Ew, stop" Isabelle said pleadingly and Clary rolled her eyes, as she smiled and shook her head. "I have to go though, but I'll talk to Simon tonight." Clary muttered unenthusiastically.

"Thanks Clary!" Isabelle chirped and Clary grumbled out a "You're welcome" before hanging up the phone and tossing it to the side of her.

She slid down, back under the covers, she had fully intended on getting out of bed and getting ready for the day, but the warmth that was surrounding her body pulled back into a tired state. The ache from earlier still throbbing through her abdomen, although the burning in her chest seemed to dwindle. She told herself she would just stay in bed for a few more minutes and closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of Jace that was still on the sheets next to her.

* * *

What was supposed to be a few minutes must have turned into a few hours because the next thing Clary knew, the setting sun was shining brightly into her eyes through the window, and a heavy weight was pressing against her stomach.

It took her a bit by surprise when she looked down to see an arm wrapped around her midsection, but the feeling of Jace's breath against her neck, and his chest moving rhythmically against her back put her at ease. She snuggled into him, tucking her hands underneath the side of her head.

Jace's hand starts to move slowly, up and down Clary's stomach, causing Clary's insides to flutter unintentionally. "How long have you been back?" Clary asked sleepily holding back a yawn. And Jace inhaled sharply through his nose, his hand stopping for just a second before beginning again.

"A little while." He said softly, his breath causing her hair to stir around her neck. "I didn't want to wake you up" He sighed pulling her closer to him, resting his chin on her shoulder. Clary hummed in response, her eyes fluttering closed again, Jace was putting just enough pressure on her stomach to make the pain go away and her body started to relax.

"Did you get sick today?" He asked groggily, Clary smiled and shook her head. "Not yet, but give it time, the night is still young" She joked and Jace's chest vibrated against her back as he chuckled. "I'm going to miss this" HE sighed so nonchalantly, as if the words slipped out of his tired mouth.

"What? Sleeping?" Clary questioned drawing her eyebrows together. "Sleeping next to you," Jace clarified placing a soft kiss against her shoulder. "Me too" Clary said quietly, placing one hand overtop of Jace's.

"Yeah" Jace said softly with a light breath. "I feel like I'm going to miss so much." He said and Clary shifted so she was on her back, looking over at him.

"Like what?" She wondered as Jace's eyes stayed focused on her stomach. "I'm not going to be there with you when you find out what they are." He said defeatedly. "Well, then it will be an even bigger surprise what you get home." Clary said trying to sound enthusiastic.

"And what if something happens? I'm going to be across the ocean, I won't be able to make it here quick enough." He said as if he didn't hear Clary's reasoning.

"Then I'll make sure not to let anything happen until you at least get back to the states" Clary joked but Jace didn't crack a smile. "The first time they actually kick, I won't be there for that." He sighed and Clary took his hand in hers. "Then I'll make sure I don't tell anyone it happened until you get home." She assured him.

"Jace you're the one who is always telling me it's going to be ok. I can't have you start doubting yourself because you're the only thing keeping me from drowning in my own emotions at this point." Clary said with an unbelievable laugh and Jace finally adverted his gaze from her stomach, up to her eyes.

"We will talk everyday. I will send you pictures of every ulra sound I get, and update you with anything that you need to know. Hell, I'll send you a picture of my stomach everyday if that's what you want." Clary held back a smile when Jace's eyes lit up and she whacked him in the chest, "You pervert" She grumbled and he finally smiled back.

"So now you want me to go?" He asked arching his eyebrows. "No" Clary said simply, pursing her lips together. "But I'm not letting you put your work on hold for me." Jace's hand cupped the side of her face and he pushed himself up onto his elbow.

"It would be for our family" He said softly, his hand trailing down her neck, arm, side, all the way to her stomach. His fingers splayed against the raised area and Clary's body sparked. "And we will still be here when you get back" She said with a reassuring smile.

Jace fell onto his back and the mattress under Clary's body bounced from the impact. Clary scooted closer to him, resting her head on his chest and wrapping an arm loosely around his torso. "I love you" She muttered into the fabric of his t-shirt. "I love you too" Jace said softly, his fingers dancing up and down her arm slowly, pulling her into him closer so there was no space between them.

The ache in Clary's body had returned but this time it was different. It didn't exactly have a source, her entire body just ached. Her chest felt like it was going to cave in and her stomach was twisted into double knots.

The next few months were going to be absolute hell without Jace beside her, but if he needed her to pretend to be ok, that's what she was going to have to do.


	17. Falling into Like

Hope you guys like this chapter!

Make sure you let me know if you did or didn't like something, your feedback makes me smile (:

* * *

"How was your flight?" Isabelle asked as Clary slid into the passenger seat of the sleek black audi.

"Exhausting." Clary grumbled slamming her door closed. "I swear to God I will never take my children on a plane until they are old enough to know proper air plane etiquette." She seethed and Isabelle snickered under her breath.

"Speaking of the babies, how are you feeling?" Izzy asked pulling away from the curb and into the, almost, stand still traffic. "Tired, grumpy, hungry, swollen," Clary pressed her forehead to the window and tried to hold back a yawn but it forced it's way out. "Tired" She repeated closing her eyes.

"Well, we'll be home in about an hour in this traffic." Izzy informed her and Clary nodded slowly her eyes still shut but she could feel Isabelle looking at her. "So if there was anything you wanted to tell me, anything at all, now would be the time" Izzy said pressing the matter and Clary tried to shoo her away with her hand. "Can't it wait Iz, I just want to sleep" Clary whined and Izzy scoffed.

"No, Simon is meeting us at the house, he wants to be there when we arrive." She said and Clary sensed a dramatic eye went along with it. "Please Clary, you didn't call me last night when you said you would after you talked to him. I just want to know what he said." She groveled and Clary sat up stiffly in her seat.

"You are such a child" Clary grumbled and Izzy smiled satisfied, looking back out at the road.

_Clary waited to call Simon until she was absolutely sure that Jace was sound asleep. _

_Slipping out into the hallway she pressed her phone to her ear as the phone rang staticlly. Simon picked up on the third ring and Clary heard him shuffling around as if he dropped it or didn't remember where he was at the moment. "Clary? What's wrong?" He asked alarmed, and Clary let out a soft giggle. _

_"Nothing, can't I call my best friend just to say hi?" She asked innocently leaning back against the wall. _

_"Not at ten thirty at night, when I have to wake up at four." He grumbled and Clary rolled her eyes. "Sorry" She said trying to stifle a laugh, "It's fine" Simon heaved out with a yawn. They sat in silence for a little bit and it actually gave Clary an overwhelming sense of comfort, as she slid down the wall so she was sitting on the ground.  
_

_Her and Simon used to sit on the phone for hours back when they were in high school. Sometimes they would watch the same TV program and discuss it in real time, or just talk when Clary needed someone to vent to about her ex boyfriend or parents, and vice versa for Simon when he was with Mia. It was all so familiar and Clary didn't realize how much she missed it. _

_"So what did you really need Clary?" Simon finally asked breaking the silence. "Nothing" Clary said with a slight whine in her voice. "I just-well I heard that you and Izzy have been spending some time together" She said slowly, picking at the fuzz from the ugly floral carpet. _

_"You haven't told Jace have you?" Simon blurted out in a panic and Clary picked her arms up before dropping them down against her thighs defeatedly, "Why do you two assume I'm going to tell Jace?" Clary huffed and Simon chuckled. _

_"Uh, because you two are rarely ever apart and you can't keep a secret to save your life." He teased and Clary made a face even though Simon obviously couldn't see her. _

_"Well he doesn't know" She informed him sharply. "Good" He sighed, relieved and Clary stretched her legs out in front of her. "So do you like her?" She asked shyly and she heard Simon choke on his breath. _

_"We've only hung out a few times. I don't-she's cool, and hot. I mean she is a model, who wouldn't like her?" He reasoned and Clary bit down on her bottom lip. "Wait is this one of those things where Izzy told you to ask me if I liked her so you can turn around and tell her my answer?" He asked curiously and Clary hesitated for a moment, which would've given away her cover, if Simon wasn't as gullible as a five year old. _

_"No Simon it isn't. I was just wondering. Jeez we're best friends, I thought that I could ask you anything?" The best friend card always worked on him. And from the heavy sigh that Simon breathed from the other end told her that she convinced him. _

_"I don't know how I feel." He said honestly, "Do you like her more than you did with Mia?" Clary asked quizzically. _

_"Duh! Mia was a bitch. But I also knew Mia for almost five years before we dated, I don't know Isabelle that well" He said with a stifled yawn. _

_"Well you should get to know her." Clary said with a shrug. "And tell her how you feel."_

_"Tell her how I feel?" Simon said in a questioning tone. "Like that I don't know if I_ like_ like her but I like being around her and want to keep being around her?"_

_"I mean if you want to" Clary said innocently and Simon groaned. "Clary just tell me what to do, because you obviously know and I don't know how to decipher your weird woman jeti mind tricks."_

_"Tell her" Clary said simply, and Simon didn't respond for a little while. Instead Clary brought up Simon's band and they veered off the Isabelle subject and spent the next hour and a half talking about random things they hadn't had time to catch up on because of everything that has been going on._

"So he doesn't know?" Isabelle grumbled.

"No he said he isn't sure, but he likes being with you, so that has to count for something right?" Clary said with a hopeful smile, that Izzy did not return.

"Yeah." She said curtly, gripping the steering wheel so tight that Clary could see the whites of her knuckles.

"Iz-" Clary started but Izzy reached for the volume nob on the stereo, turning the music up past speaking level. This is why she didn't want to involve herself, Simon was a horrible relayer of emotions. If he likes you he won't tell you, odds are he'll keep it bottled away forever, you really have to force everything out of that kid.

Hopefully he doesn't screw this up, because Clary likes Isabelle, and no matter the outcome of their little fling, they were going to be around each other a lot, for the sake of Jace and Clary's children.

Closing her eyes and pressed her forehead to the cool glass of the window again, letting the sweet sound of the radio lull her to sleep.

**XXXXXX**

Simon was there as soon as Izzy pulled past the gates and into the drive way. Just like he promised he would be, but Izzy knew it wasn't really for her, it was for Clary. And even if, for a split second, she let herself believe he was there for her, the reaction that came out of him when Clary stepped out of the passenger side door gave Isabelle all the clarification she needed.

Simon was at Clary's side in a flash pulling her into a tight hug, and Izzy couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Whoa, you've gotten huge" Simon exasperated when they parted and Clary shot him a glare. "Thank you Simon. I really hadn't noticed." She deadpanned and he snapped his mouth shut, as not to say anything else.

"Do you need help with your bags?" He asked clearing this throat, offering a smile and Isabelle chose that time to speak up. "Hodge can get them" She said slamming the driver side door closed. It was like he didn't even remember that she was there. He head snapped in her direction and it almost looked like his cheeks started to turn red.

"Right, I forgot. Hey Iz" He smiled slightly, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets.

"Simon" She said curtly whisking past him and Clary, keeping her chin up as high as she could, her eyes focused on the already opened door. Hodge was peering out to see what needed to be done, "Her bags are in the trunk." She said with a wave of her hand as she slipped past him and into the cool foyer.

If Simon wasn't sure about his feelings she sure as hell wasn't about to let her show in anyway shape or form. She would make sure that no one, well excluding Clary now, ever knew how she felt.

Letting someone in is a sure fire way to get hurt, if there was one good thing Jace taught her as an older brother it was that, to love is to destroy and to be loved is to be the one destroyed, or in this case, like...a very, strong _like_.

It didn't take long for Simon and Clary to reach the front door as well, but by that time Izzy was already half way up the stairs ready to seek solitude in her bedroom. She could hear the two of them bickering quietly back and forth but chose to ignore it, probably just some argument about which stupid superhero movie they were going to watch first.

She didn't like getting this way about boys. It made her feel weak. Granted she never really knew for sure when or if she truly _liked_ someone because by the time she started feeling something her current _'boyfriend'_ would move on to bigger and better things, like Seelie McQueen. Isabelle clenched her jaw at the memory and shooed it away as she fell on her bed, onto her stomach.

There was a faint knock on her door and she rolled onto her back grabbing a magazine from her nightstand. "Come in" She called as Simon poked his head through the door way. "Hey" He smiled and Isabelle flicked her gaze from the magazine over to Simon and then back down at her lap again.

"Where is Clary?" She asked cooly flipping a page. "She said she was tired." He said shimming the rest of the way through the cracked door and closed it slowly behind him.

Isabelle pursed her lips and arched both her eyebrows but didn't make an effort to look at Simon again, although she could feel his presence growing nearer until he was standing right beside her. "You ok?" He asked curiously and Izzy hummed out an "Mhmm"

"It doesn't seem like you're ok" Simon said sitting down by her feet.

"Well I'm fine" She said with a one shoulder shrug, flipping to another page. She could feel him staring at her, begging her to look at him but she kept her eyes trained on the fine print of the fashion article she was 'reading'.

"Iz, if this is because of what Clary called me about last night-"

"I have no idea what you're talking about" Izzy interrupted and Simon chuckled running a hand through his curly hair. "Ok" He said as if he didn't believe her.

"Why are you here?" She asked curtly finally looking up at him, arching an eyebrow. "Because Clary just got home and we agreed that I should be here when she got back." He shrugged and Izzy scoffed.

"No I mean why are you here? In my room right now?" She snapped narrowing her gaze.

"I told you Clary was tired so she went to sleep," Simon said furrowing his eyebrows together quizzically. "And because I wanted to see you," He stated reaching out for her but Izzy moved away from his hand.

"Well, I'm sorry but I'm not in the mood for sex right now." She seethed shooting Simon a sarcastic smile before violently flipping to the next page in the magazine.

"Wait, What?" Simon coughed and Isabelle just rolled her eyes. "I never said that-"

"You told Clary that you don't like me, but you like being _with_ me." She said sharply, finally tossing the useless magazine to the side and crossing her legs in front of her.

Simon groaned and ran a hand over his face. "I knew it was some weird girl-mind trick thing." He muttered under his breath. "So you _did_ say it" Izzy huffed.

"When you put it like that, it sounds bad. That isn't how I meant it." Simon said. Did he just chuckle? Did he think this was funny? Izzy was ready to bear her feelings to the kid and he doesn't feel the same way and he's laughing?

"It's fine Simon, I've been through this plenty of times. You don't like me, I'll live. Just don't expect my bed to be available on the nights when you feel lonely." She seethed smacking her lips together, trying to stand her ground but Simon was still looking at her unbelievingly, with a stupid smirk on his face.

"Iz it's not that I-I just-I want-I want to take things slow." He said in a wishy-washy voice. "And I don't mean Jace and Clary slow, because those two went at the rate of a high speed train." He shook his head and Isabelle straightened her back.

"And I just got out of an extremely rocky, possessive, psychotic relationship" Simon groaned with a dramatic eye roll tilting his head back slightly.

"Oh, so I'm just a rebound?"

"No!" Simon said quickly, pinching the bridge of his nose between his pointer finger and thumb. "I mean, I don't want to rush into another relationship too quickly so I know I have my head on straight. I like what we have. I like talking to you, and being around you, and thinking about you-"

"That's not creepy" Isabelle muttered under her breath and Simon shot her a warning glare. Secretly though her heart had begun to flutter and her stomach was in knots. He was implying that eventually they might be something more, a small smile was trying to force it's way onto her lips but she held it back with a cough.

"I don't know what else to-"

"Do you like me or not Simon? It's not that hard of a question. I'm not asking you to say that you love me. Hell I don't even think I know what that is yet, but for Christ's sake, just tell me yes or no. You say you _like_ being around me, and you_ like_ talking to me, so why can't you just say that you_ like me_?" She said throwing her hands up in the air and dropping them to her sides, staring at him wide eyed and expectant of any answer that may come out of his mouth.

"Yes I like you" He said bringing his eyebrows together. "I thought that was what I just got done saying" He said looking at her as if she'd missed that entire speech.

Izzy clenched down on her jaw and shook her head. "That is not what you said at all! You said 'I want to go slow, I like hanging out with you and I think about you but I don't want to rush anything'" Waving her hands around, she mimicked Simon's voice mockingly.

"Well that is what I meant" Simon said with a laugh and Isabelle hit him in the shoulder pushing him back away from her slightly. She hadn't really realized how close they were until that moment. He was less than an arms length away from her. One of his legs was slightly bent up onto the bed so their knees were touching.

They sat there in silence for a few moments. Isabelle could tell he that Simon kept opening his mouth to say something but he snapped it shut before anything came out. She knew how he was feeling though. She was afraid to speak, so she wouldn't ruin the moment, or say something that might make him back off even more. Wringing her fingers together, she chewed on the inside of her cheek and occasionally flicked her gaze up though her eyelashes to look at Simon who was fidgeting just as much.

"Do you want to watch a movie or something then?" He asked with a shrug.

"It isn't going to be one of those Star Battle movies again is it? Because you made me watch an entire marathon of them last week and I wanted to die." Isabelle said with a dry laugh and Simon looked at her like she had just slapped him in the face.

"Wars Izzy... _Star Wars_. And no, I won't make you watch them again. However, if anything is going to prosper between us, you are going to have to admit that you loved every second of that marathon." Simon said matter of factly and Izzy rolled her eyes playfully, there he goes again, stating that at some point in the future they were going to be something more. Isabelle's stomach was in a frenzy and she cleared her throat to extinguish the girlish giggle that was trying to break through.

"Whatever" She sighed as Simon slid off of her bed holding out his hand for her. "I'm just gonna change real quick, I'll meet you down there in a minute" Izzy said with a small smile and Simon turned, replying with just a shrug before he slipped out, back into the hall.

Izzy waited until she heard his footsteps retreating down the hallway before she fell backwards onto her bed and buried her face into a pillow.

What was she letting herself get into? Simon was so nerdy, not her typical type, nice, respectable and his brother's girlfriend's best friend. If things didn't go well, they would both have to live with seeing each other for as long as Clary and Jace were around.

This could turn out to be a very bad idea, but then again...it could turn out to be the greatest thing in the world.

**XXXXXX**

Clary was woken up from the sound of her phone ringing beside her pillow. Blinking a few times to get the sleep out of her eyes and ran a hand over her face and checked the time. It was midnight, and she had forgotten to call Jace, which was probably why he was calling her this very moment. "Shit" She muttered to herself before pressing the answer button and holding the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" She croaked sleepily trying to hold back a yawn. "Hey did I wake you up?" Jace's voice rang out loudly through the speaker and it took a second for Clary's ears to adjust.

"Yeah, it's fine though, I've been sleeping since I got home" Clary yawned again and stretched out her legs under the covers. "Sorry, it's just...you didn't let me know when you landed and so I didn't know if everything was ok. I just wanted to make sure you were alright." He said in a more hushed voice this time.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I forgot" Clary grumbled rubbing the palm of her hand against her eye. "Forgetting about me already little red? I mean I thought it would happen, but I figured it would've taken longer." Jace teased

"I can't help it you're just so damn forgettable." She joked back and Jace chuckled.

"I miss you" He sighed and the smile drooped from Clary's face. "I miss you too" She muttered quietly, running a hand over her stomach.

"What are you wearing?" Jace asked and Clary could just hear the smirk radiating from his mouth. "Way to ruin the moment you perv" She giggled and Jace stifled a laugh. "What I was just wondering?" He said innocently and Clary rolled her eyes. "Use your imagination" she muttered.

"My imagination can be dangerous" He said jokingly and Clary mocked his laugh sarcastically. "Well looks like you're going to have to wait a month and a half to find out"

"That's why Skype was invented." Jace chuckled. "Shut up" Clary laughed, she could feel her face growing hotter so she covered it with her hand, regardless of the fact that Jace didn't know it.

After the their laughter died down Clary sighed and turned on her side, pressing her face into Jace's abandoned pillow. "It's weird sleeping alone now" Jace said softly and Clary inhaled deeply through her nose, her nostrils filling with the scent of Jace that still remained.

"Just pretend it's like it was before we met" Clary exhaled. "Minus the whole sleeping with other people thing"

"Dang it, I was going to invite Sebastian over to cuddle" Jace snickered and Clary smiled into the pillow. "Are you two talking now?" Clary asked in a more serious tone. Jace and Sebastian hadn't really spoken to each other about the events that took place at their benefit concert, at least Clary didn't think they had. But she didn't want to be the reason two best friends quit talking to each other so she kept hounding Jace about it.

"We're fine Clary" Jace sighed, but she knew that, that meant they hadn't talked and Jace didn't want to subject brought up. "Do you want me to talk to him? I don't care if he's mad at me, but he shouldn't be mad at you, you didn't do anything" Clary huffed and Jace stayed silent.

"You didn't do anything either." Jace said reassuringly but Clary didn't believe him, she obviously did, she slapped Seelie, she should've just ignored her and walked away but she let her emotions get the best of her, and now she was screwing Jace's friendships up.

"I shouldn't have hit her"

"Seelie shouldn't be a bitch" Jace retorted with a chuckle. "You didn't do anything Clary, if Sebastian is mad I don't really care. I'm not apologizing, and you sure as hell aren't either." Clary smiled, she kind of liked when Jace got defensive of her, ok she loved it.

"Ok" She said resolutely.

"Clary?" She heard from behind her, making her snap her head around to see who it was. Isabelle was standing awkwardly in the doorway of the bedroom, one hand hooked around her elbow. "Hey Iz" She said questioningly, furrowing her eyebrows together.

"Izzy is there?" Jace said through the phone. "How long has she been there?" He asked worriedly. "She just came in" Clary snickered, pushing herself up slightly to get a better view of Isabelle. "What's up?" She asked.

"If you're busy I'll just talk to you tomorrow, it's fine I just-"

"No, you're fine" Clary said quickly stopping Isabelle in her tracks.

"You're leaving me for my sister" Jace whined and Clary rolled her eyes. "You have to be up early anyway. You need to sleep" She scolded, and Jace groaned. "You have my Europe cell number right?"

"Yeah I do, just call me when you land," She motioned Izzy to come further into the room. "Oh and Jace..."

"Yeah?"

"Just your t-shirt" She said with a smirk and it took a second for him to catch on. "You are such a tease" He groaned and Clary laughed.

"Bye, I love you" She said in a sing-songy voice.

"I love you too" Jace replied before the two of them hung up. Clary placed her phone on the nightstand beside her as Izzy crawled up onto the bed. "Hey" She said softly with a smile and Clary looked at her suspiciously.

"Where is Simon?" Clary asked quirking up an eyebrow. "He went home" Izzy said pushing her legs underneath the covers beside Clary.

"No sleepover?" Clary teased but Izzy stayed silent. "What happened? What did he say?" Clary huffed sliding down to her back beside Izzy.

"When did you know that you liked Jace?" Izzy blurted out, catching Clary off guard. Sucking in a deep breath and puffing out her cheeks Clary thought about it for a second.

"I don't know" She said honestly and Izzy scoffed. "I mean, I think I've always liked Jace. Since I found out that I was pregnant, even when I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep the baby, there was always something in the back of my mind that made me think that we could somehow work it out and become a big happy family." Clary shifted uncomfortably. She didn't really like talking about this too much because she felt so dumb when she said it out loud.

"But when did you know you loved him?" Izzy asked shyly and Clary turned her head to look at her. "Do you think you love Simon?" She asked a bit taken aback.

"No" Izzy said quickly shaking her head vigorously. "I just...I don't know what that feels like. I don't know if I like him, or if it's lust, or whatever. I've never really been serious with anyone before, because guys usually don't want to date a supermodel, just hook up and move on to the next bimbo." She sighed and Clary turned her whole body to face Izzy, tucking her arm underneath her head.

"You aren't a bimbo Iz." She said with a small smile but Izzy continued to stare at the ceiling.

"I know that you want some superior advice about love and how you know who the right person is but the truth is...I don't know either." Clary shrugged and Izzy shot her an incredulous look. "But you and Jace-"

"Are having a baby-two babies" Clary interrupted with a laugh. "We _had_ to try, for our family. Would we be together if we hadn't met at that club, or if we would've been smarter and used protection? Probably not." Clary said, the truth of it all hitting her hard in the stomach. "But we tried and we are, for the most part, making it work, because we have to."

"So you don't really love Jace?" Izzy said accusingly, narrowing her gaze.

"No, I do" Clary said with a nod. "And that's the scary part" She admitted falling onto her back again. "I know that we are moving really fast, hell we've known each other for what, four months? I hate that I feel so strongly for him when I don't know him as well as I would like, but I can't control it. I just feel this way, and I don't know why."

"Do you think you two will ever get married?" Izzy asked and Clary choked on her words, coughs turning into nervous chuckles, "Hopefully not anytime in the near future. I mean I love your brother, but we are not ready to get _married_. I am nineteen, have no job, and am about to have two children. We should probably slow it down a little bit"

"Yeah, you're probably right. That would just be a disaster" Izzy said with laugh and Clary laughed along. "I can only imagine" She said as the giggles died down.

"I'm glad he met you" Izzy yawned snuggling down into the blankets more. Clary smiled to herself her eyes scanning the ceiling.

"Thanks Iz." She said softly, and in almost a whisper. "Me too"

* * *

How did you guys like the Izzy POV? It was nice writing from a different perspective for a change, and I might happen again.

Make sure you stay tuned for the next chapter though because you guys' feedback will be crucial in the end of it!

That's all I will tell you for know ;) _ta-ta_


	18. And the Verdict is

Sunday: September 2nd

_4:41 p.m  
_**"2 hour layover in Toronto, call me? :)" -J**

**. . .**

Monday: September 3rd

_5:15 a.m  
_**"You're probably asleep but I just landed, let me know when you're awake(:" - J**

_9:15 a.m  
__"Hey, I'm awake. Glad you're ok!" - C_

_10:30 a.m  
_**"Sorry, I was asleep. Jet lag is a bitch" - J**

_10:35 a.m_  
_"What time is it there?" - C_

_10:38 a.m  
_**"3:37 p.m, we're five hours ahead of you guys" - J**

_11:41 a.m  
"You can go back to sleep if you want..." - C_

_11:45 a.m**  
**_**"I want to hear your voice, can you call me?" - J**

**. . .**

Tuesday: September 4th

_6:45 p.m_  
_"How was the first show? Did you totally kick butt?" -C_

_7:15 p.m_  
**"Insane, haha. Oh yeah I totally kicked butt ;)" - J**

_7:25 p.m_  
_"yay! Where to next? (:" - C_

_7:28 p.m  
_**"Belfast, We'll be there for four nights so I'll be in a hotel room, which means wifi, which means I get to see your face (:" - J**

_7:30 p.m  
"I can't wait :)" - C_

_9:30 p.m _  
**"Sorry, I fell asleep." - J**

_10:00 p.m_  
_"It's ok, I'll just talk to you tomorrow, get some sleep(:" - C_

**_. . . _**

Wednesday: September 5th

_12:06 p.m_  
_"I have an appointment on friday at Dr. Branwell's" - C_

**_. . ._**

Thursday: September 6th

_2:25 a.m**  
**_**"Babe I'm so sorry! Yesterday was so hectic I didn't have my phone. I promise I wasn't ignoring you! I love you, text me when you get this." - J**

_8:15 a.m_  
_"It's ok, I know you're busy. I was just letting you know about the appointment. I love you too" - C_

_10:28 a.m_  
**"Are you near your computer?" - J**

_10:30 a.m_  
_"Currently on it, why do you ask?" - C_

**_. . ._**

Clary was sitting in Jace's bed, Izzy sound asleep beside her. Her laptop was on her lap and she was scrolling through her twitter feed. People had started to warm up to the idea of her being pregnant, it seemed, which made her feel a little bit better. However, there were still a lot of hateful comments, but for the most part the good ones out weighed the bad.

Her and Jace had been trying to stay in contact for the past week and were failing miserably. They texted for about twenty minutes a day, and that was only if Jace didn't fall asleep because he was always busy, not that she blamed him, it's his job.

So when Jace texted her asking if she was near her computer, she had no idea why it mattered but told him yes anyway. After she sent it however, the realization dawned on her. But it was too late to text him back. The sound of a Skype call rang through her speakers and Jace's picture popped up in the corner.

Clicking the answer button she waited as the blank, black screen where Jace's picture would soon be loaded, flashed in front of her. Her heart was racing, and her eyes moved around the computer screen frantically.

"Hey" She smiled when his face filled the void on her screen. "Hey" He said with a heavy breath, his shoulders slumping slightly with the exhale.

"I wish you would've given me more notice, I could have made myself not look like a homeless person" Clary joked. Her hair was thrown up in a messy bun, strands falling loosely around her face, she didn't have any makeup on, and she was just wearing one of Jace's only flannel shirts that she could find.

Jace rolled his eyes. "You'd make a cute homeless person" Jace smiled cheekily and Clary stuck her tongue out at him.

"So you have an appointment tomorrow?" He asked quirking an eyebrow, folding his hands in front of himself on the desk where his laptop was placed.

Clary nodded and bit down on her bottom lip. "I uh-I think we're going to be able to find out the sexes'." She said shyly with a slight smile and Jace shifted his position. "I should be there" He huffed ruffling a hand through his hair.

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Simon and Izzy are going to take me. I'll be ok" She said with a reassuring smile, wishing she could reach out and touch him.

"Yeah" Jace said with a shallow laugh and Clary's heart fell into her stomach. "I'm sorry we haven't been able to talk much" He said veering off the subject which made Clary breath a sigh of relief.

"It's ok I understand that you're busy" Clary shrugged, tugging the sleeves of the flannel so they were almost past her finger tips.

Izzy rustled the blankets beside Clary and turned on her side. "What are you doing?" She muttered sleepily and Clary sucked in a breath, trying to be still so Izzy would just roll back over and fall asleep.

"Is someone there with you?" Jace asked, and Clary nodded, the sound of Jace's voice must have been enough to snap Izzy out of her half conscious state because her eyes flew open and she was shot up into a sitting position. "Jace?" She said excitedly pushing her head past Clary's to look at the computer screen.

"Hey Iz" Jace said with a chuckle waving with one hand, Clary leaned back against the head board and Izzy squealed. "Hey!" She said in a wide awake voice. You never would've known that she was dead asleep just seconds before.

"Iz has been staying with me at night" Clary said with an apologetic smile "Clary is afraid of the dark" Izzy piped in and Clary nudged her elbow into Izzy's ribcage. "I am not" She grumbled as Jace laughed.

"How have you been?" She asked wiggling closer to Clary so both there bodies were in the tiny viewing screen that was in the corner.

"Good. Tired...but good" Jace said, Clary thought he shot her a sympathetic smile but it was so quick that she could have been mistaken. "Just don't throw up on stage like the last time you guys were in Ireland" Izzy scolded playfully and Jace rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

"You threw up on stage?" Clary said quirking an eyebrow, looking at Jace amusedly.

"To be fair I was getting over a pretty gnarly cold" He said with a one shoulder shrug and Izzy scoffed.

"Please, it was your twenty first birthday and the guys took you out" Izzy said with a laugh. "Aline had to-" Izzy cut herself off, like she suddenly realized Clary was right beside her, and the air seemed thicker in the room. Jace was no longer smiling and Clary felt the awkwardness creeping in like fog on a summer night.

Clary bit the inside of her cheek and tired to force out a smile but it just looked creepy in the small screen that showed her reflection, so she stopped. It sounded like someone had entered Jace's hotel room, the door slammed and a collection of loud voices filled the speakers. "Vans here" One of them said. _Will._ Clary confirmed to herself.

"I'll be down in a minute" Jace said, looking over the computer screen, but it didn't sound like any of them left. He rub a hand over his face and then through his hair. "Sorry I have to go" He said, as if both the girls didn't here that small exchange.

Izzy nodded and Clary offered a half-smile. "I'll uh-I'll text you when I get back." Jace said to Clary, and Izzy slowly eased out of the frame. "Ok" Clary said softly.

"I-" He hesitated. "I'll talk to you later" He said moving his hand so his fingers were on the touch pad. "Yeah" Clary said quickly mimicking Jace's motions. And that was it. The screen went blank again and Clary was staring at her laptop background. It was picture of her and Simon from a few months back.

"I didn't mean to bring her up" Izzy said immediately, and Clary brushed it off like it didn't matter. Because it shouldn't matter, but for some reason it did.

Clary tried so hard to act like Jace's past relationship was just that, a past relationship, but something about it made her feel like he was holding something back, and the way he reacted when Izzy said her name didn't help either.

He could've laughed it off but he didn't.

A few seconds later her phone vibrated and she guessed who it was before she read the name.

_10:59 a.m_  
**"I love you Clary" - J**

_11:00 a.m_  
_"Love you too" - C_

He didn't say it in front of his friends. Why? Was he ashamed? Embarrassed? Hung up on someone else? Clary shook the thoughts out of her head. She hated when she thought that way, it just made her angry and then she took it out on Jace, who had no idea what he did, because in the end he didn't even do anything.

"I'm hungry" Clary finally said and a smile spread on Izzy's face.

**XXXXXX**

He should've said it to her, that might be one of the only times in the next month and a half that he actually got to see her face and he wussed out because he didn't want to be made fun of by his friends. He hoped that texting her was the next best thing he could've done, he would've called but...his friends were right there and he knew that if he said he loved Clary in front of them they wouldn't let him live it down for weeks.

He wanted to slap Izzy for bringing up Aline, she just never knew when to stop talking.

Clary looked so beautiful though, not supermodel, magazine, photo ready beautiful, but the actual kind, where she wasn't trying. Jace could tell she'd just woken up, her unruly curls were even more out of place even though they were being held back by a hair tie, her face was unmasked from the minimal amount of makeup that she did wear, and she was wearing one of his old shirts. A flannel that he thought he'd gotten rid of, but after seeing it on Clary made him extremely glad that he didn't.

He loved seeing her that way, and he missed seeing her that way at the same time.

He'd been trying so hard to stay in touch with her. The time difference was a bitch though. When she was waking up, he was finally falling asleep. And when they were both awake he was sound checking, or at an interview, or doing a show. But whatever free time he had he spent trying to call her or text her, or he was just thinking about her, always thinking about her.

And now she was going to this appointment alone. Ok, not technically alone, but without him and he couldn't do a damn thing about it. He might be able to FaceTime with one of them when they get there but what if he's in the middle of an interview? Or doing one of his radio acoustic sessions?

Again, the time difference was a bitch.

On the way to the stadium Jace kept his head down and his headphones in. Anything to keep the guys away from him right now. He felt like his head was going to explode. He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked up long enough to see Will staring down at him. His lips were moving but because of the headphones Jace didn't hear a thing.

Pulling one free from his hear he arched both his eyebrows so Will would repeat himself. "You ok?" Will asked again and Jace nodded about to put his headphone back in. "Tessa said she could go see if Clary was ok while we were gone, she feels kinda bad about the whole thing..." Will said his voice lowering so the others couldn't hear.

"Izzy is there with her" Jace said biting his bottom lip, and Will nodded. "But I'm sure Clary is getting sick of her." Jace shrugged and Will seemed to understand. "I don't know_ exactly_, with Clary being pregnant and all, but I get it man. Tess plays it off like she doesn't mind me being gone all the time but I know she is upset" Will said with a shrug.

"Sucks." Jace agreed leaning his head back against the head rest.

The two boys stayed silent the rest of the way, as opposed to Jordan and Sebastian who were goofing off in front of them, messing with Michael who was half asleep in the passenger seat, but it was comfortable, and that was what Jace needed right now.

**XXXXXX**

Clary was actually pretty nervous about the doctor's appointment. After today she could finally stop calling the babies, "it" and "them". They will have genders and she'd be able to pick out colors for the bedroom, and shop for baby clothes, and look for names. It was all a little overwhelming but exciting at the same time.

"I'm betting on two girls" Izzy said as they said in the ultrasound room, waiting for the doctor.

"Nope, a boy and a girl" Simon said. "It's statistically, proven that fraternal twins tend to be two different genders."

"Ok Mr. Scientist, but boys are gross, and girls are more fun to dress up" Isabelle argued childishly. "What a compelling argument" Simon teased and Izzy stuck her tongue out at him.

"I wouldn't mind a boy" Clary said with a sigh, placing one arm behind her head, her eyes scanning the ceiling. "Jace said he doesn't care, but I know he wants a boy too." She said with a laugh and Isabelle scoffed. Jace had texted that night while she was asleep about five times.

_12:34 a.m_  
**"I love you, good luck with the appointment. Everything will be fine. I will love them the same no matter what they are(:" - J**

_12:45 a.m_  
**"Call me immediately afterwards, I want to know!" - J**

_1:30 a.m_  
**"No nevermind don't tell me what they are I want it to be a surprise!" - J**

_2:07 a.m_  
**"No. Tell me, I don't think I could wait that long. :P" - J**

_2:45 a.m_  
**"Do not tell me, no matter how much I beg! I want it to be special, not over the phone." - J**

Izzy and Simon were laying down the ground rules for their bet on the genders of Clary's babies when Dr. Branwell walked in. "Ah, Clary I see you've brought a new audience with you today." She smiled and Clary nodded back hitting Simon over the shoulder when him and Izzy didn't stop their argument.

"This is Jace's sister Isabelle and my best friend Simon" Clary said motioning between the two sides of the bed.

"Nice to meet the two of you" Dr. Branwell said shaking both Simon and Izzy's hands before sitting down in her swivel chair.

"We're going to be able to find out the sexes' right?" Izzy spoke up and Dr. Branwell nodded slowly. "If the babies are positioned well we should be able to get a clear look."

"Do you want to know today Clary? Or are you waiting until the day of the birth?" Dr. Branwell asked and Clary heard Izzy gasp. She was probably thinking how someone could wait that long, because that's exactly what Clary was thinking. Nineteen weeks was long enough to wait. She wanted to know right now.

"No, I want to know today. Definitely today" She said and Dr. Branwell laughed.

"Well then, you know the drill" She said motioning Clary to roll up her shirt as she squirted the gel onto the ultra sound wand. The gel wasn't as cold this time, it might have been because Clary was used to it, but it was probably because her body was hot with anticipation and she wasn't concentrating on anything else except for the screen, waiting for the black and white picture of her babies to fill the screen.

"Ok" Dr. Branwell said slowly, moving the wand along Clary's raised stomach. "So the fact that there are two amniotic sacs, we are going to assume that they are fraternal, but there is a strong chance, if both of them are the same gender that they are identical." Clary nodded when Dr. Branwell spoke. She honestly didn't care and wished the women would just get on with it already.

She pressed the wand a little harder into Clary's left side the screen showed the outline of what looked like a baby and Clary's heart started to speed up. For just a quick second she looked over at Simon and Izzy but their eyes were trained on the computer screen as well.

"Ok" Dr. Branwell said again and Clary snapped her attention back the screen. She squinted her eyes trying to see what Dr. Branwell might be seeing but it was no use she had no idea what she was looking for. "Uh-huh" Dr. Branwell huffed and Clary crossed and uncrossed her feet.

"Congratulations" Dr. Branwell said and a smile spread on Clary's face...

* * *

_I know I'm **evil** for leaving a cliff hanger there, and making this so short BUT there is a method to my madness._

_So because you guys have been so patient with me, and your feedback is so amazing(!) I'm going to let you have a little input in this story. _

_Now I've already (sort of) decided on what the twins are going to be (gender wise) but I want to hear what you guys want. And while your at it, since you're reading the story and you have to read the name over and over again, I'm going to also let you have input on the baby names. _

**Girls:**

_Emma_

_Addison_

_Sophia_

_Avery_

_Molly_

**Boys:**

_Noah_

_Nicholas_

_Owen_

_Gideon _

_Liam_

_Please pick your top two favorites from the lists above. It can be two girl names, two boy names, or a girl and a boy. (Whatever you want the twins to be.)_

_But also remember that I kind of already have my mind set on the genders so don't be discouraged if your combination doesn't get picked, I still love you for giving me your input! (: _

_Oh and do you like the whole "text" thing I did? I was trying to show you guys how disconnected Jace and Clary are, and how hard it is for them to talk. Did it work?_

_Other than it being super short, I hope you all still liked it, and keep reading. I'm trying to write as fast as I can, I don't want to rush too much and then put out something I'm not proud of. _

_Thanks again!_


	19. Mixed Emotions

"If you look right here" Dr. Branwell said drawing a circle on the screen. "This is baby number one's head." Now Clary could kind of see it, the distinct outline of a nose, and a dip where the eye was. "Right here is the arm...and there is the leg" Dr. Branwell hit a few buttons and pressed the wand down a little more, moving it ever so slightly.

"Uh-huh ok. Well congratulations..."

"Is that-" Izzy interrupted, but stopped mid-sentence. Clary had no idea what she was going to ask, her eyes scanned the screen but all she could really see was the black and grey blobs again.

"I think so..." Simon said answering her even though she didn't get out everything she was going to say.

"It's a boy" Dr. Branwell said with a nod.

The words hit Clary hard in the chest. A flood of emotions washed over her, and she didn't really know how to react. Her eyes stung with tears that wanted to spill out, and her throat was burning from holding them back. Her heart leaped into her throat, and her stomach was full of butterflies.

_A boy._

She looked over at Izzy, who was scowling at Simon as he smiled triumphantly.

Dr. Branwell printed out a picture of the first baby and moved the wand over to the other side of her stomach. "Now remember that these aren't 100%, more like 99.9% but usually, when we see something there to indicate that it's a boy, it is usually a boy." Clary nodded and waited for the next bit of news.

It took a little longer to find this one. The second baby was positioned awkwardly and Dr. Branwell had to coax the wand around to try and make it move.

"When my mom got her ultrasound for Max, they thought he was going to be a girl" Izzy said, her voice filling the silence as they all stared anxiously at the screen.

"Mhmm" Dr. Branwell hummed and Clary felt Izzy's knee shaking nervously against the metal bed. Damn, it seemed like Izzy and Simon were more nervous than she was.

"Ok now..." Dr Branwell started, hitting a few buttons so that the picture she took of the last baby was on the monitor next to the one she was currently on. "When we look at this picture here.." She pointed to the area that indicated the genitalia. "We can see quite clearly that there is something there," Clary finally saw what she meant.

"And if we look over here..."

Clary squinted her eyes. "I don't see anything" She said, her forehead creasing. Dr. Branwell turned to smile at her and Izzy squealed. "Does that mean it's a girl?" She asked excitedly and Dr. Branwell nodded.

"I told you!" Simon shouted pointing a finger in Izzy's face but she swatted him away. "Oh shut up, I don't even care, I'm going to spoil her so bad! I mean him too but..." Izzy squealed again and clapped her hands.

"Sorry about them" Clary said with a laugh and Dr. Branwell shook her head. "Trust me, I've dealt with worse." She laughed and Clary looked back at the computer screen.

_A boy and a girl. _

Tears started brimming her eyes again and she quickly wiped them away. Jace would love this.

_Jace._

Izzy took her hand and squeezed it as Dr. Branwell checked the heart beats and vitals of the babies.

_A boy and a girl._

_"_Is there any way that I could have a copy of that video to take home?" Clary asked, she remembered that her mom had one of her and Jonathan and figured why the hell not? Jace might want to see it, and if he didn't, Clary kind of wanted to have one for nostalgic purposes.

Dr. Branwell handed her a towel to clean off her stomach. "Of course." She smiled. "It will take just a few minutes, I'll get that ready while Nurse Cooper takes your blood" And then Dr. Branwell left the room and Clary's mind was still reeling.

Simon was still gloating about being right when they left the hospital all the way down the block to their car, until Izzy hit him up-side the head. "Knock it off or you don't get your reward." She scolded and his eyes lit up.

"What's my reward." He asked wiggling his eyebrows, Izzy winked at him, and Clary scrunched up her face. "Not in front of me" She whined and the two of them snickered.

"Now you know how we felt when we had to watch you and Jace eat each other's faces." Simon retorted and Clary stuck her tongue out at him.

**XXXXXX**

It was around quarter till midnight by the time Jace and the guys all got passed the swarm of screaming girls that were around their hotel. That was the only bad thing about staying in a city for more than one night, the fans were always sure to find out where you were staying. Jace didn't mind it, he loved taking pictures and signing autographs for them, they were the reason he was so successful, but right now he was exhausted and just wanted to try and get upstairs to talk to Clary for a few minutes.

When they got through about half the crowd, security shooed away enough people so they could slip into the lobby.

"Coming down to the bar tonight?" Sebastian asked Jace when they piled into the elevator. Jace shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm way too tired" He said with a yawn but Sebastian gave him a knowing looking, and turned away from him, not before rolling his eyes.

"Yeah right, you just want to get upstairs so you can Skype with your girlfriend" Jordan said in a mocking voice pushing Jace playfully. And Jace chuckled staggering to his left so he knocked into one of the elevator walls.

"She giving you anything to remember her by?" Sebastian asked with his back to Jace, and Jace just rolled his eyes, Sebastian was in a shitty mood and he wasn't going to let it get to him. "Nah man, Clary isn't like that" He said as all the laughter died in the elevator and Will and Jordan kept to their own side.

Sebastian scoffed and muttered something under his breath as the elevator dinged, opening up so the boys could step out. "Have something to say Seb?" Jace asked following Will into the hallway. "I didn't say anything" Sebastian shrugged and Jace just shook his head. He didn't have time for his childish games.

"Whatever" He grumbled pulling his key card out of his wallet, unlocking the door and slipping inside his room.

He immediately stripped out of his jeans, threw on a fresh t-shirt, and fell into bed. He had six text messages but only one of them really mattered to him.

_7:47 p.m_  
_"Got back from the appointment a little bit ago, everyone is healthy (:" - C_

So he replied hoping that she was awake and near her phone.

_12:11 a.m_  
**"Skype?" - J**

_12:14 a.m_  
_"Give me ten minutes" - C _

To pass the time Jace got on his twitter and wrote a couple status' about how much he was loving his time in Belfast, even though he hadn't really seen much of it besides the stadium and his hotel room, the energy was insane. He posted a picture of the crowd from the concert and then decided that it had been long enough of a wait and pressed call, if Clary didn't pick up he would just keep trying.

"I told you ten minutes" He heard her voice laugh, before he could see her face. When her picture popped up, the movements were jerky and unloaded but it normalized after a few seconds. "It has been ten minutes" He smiled and Clary rolled her eyes playfully.

"I was just going to get in the shower, we've been cleaning out my room all day and I smell like I just ran ten miles" She made a face and stuck her tongue out like she was gagging.

"You aren't lifting anything too heavy though right? Because that probably isn't good for you." Jace furrowed his eyebrows together and Clary shook her head. "Nope, me and Izzy are making Simon do all the heavy lifting." She laughed, repositioning herself so her laptop was on her lap and she was leaning against the headboard. "I thought you'd have more to say about the whole showering thing though." She laughed and Jace shook his head.

"Too easy" He winked.

"Where are you going to put all that furniture?" Jace asked, there was an entire room set of furniture that now didn't have a home, not like it actually mattered, he was just making small talk.

"Garage, until we find someone to take it, or somewhere else to put it." Jace could kind of see Clary's stomach when she started to move the laptop again and his heart sank into his stomach.

"So how did the appointment go?" He asked running a hand through his hair and stifling a yawn.

"Tired?" Clary asked frowning slightly. "Maybe you should go to sleep we can talk to tomorrow" She sighed but Jace blinked his eyes open a couple times and sat up straighter. "No I'm fine I want to hear about the appointment." He smiled.

"I'm not telling you" She laughed and Jace looked at her awestruck. "Why not?" He scoffed and Clary shrugged. "You told me not to, and I think it will be way more fun to keep you guessing until you get home" She said with a wink, and Jace wished he could've reached into the computer and pulled her through the screen just to kiss her.

"But-"

"No buts, I'm not telling you, you're going to have to wait" She laughed and Jace groaned leaning his head back against the wall. "No fair" He whined and Clary shrugged with a smirk.

He yawned again but tried to play it off like it was nothing. "Just go to bed Jace" Clary exasperated, and he shook his head "I want to talk to you"

"We'll talk tomorrow morning. You are tired, and if you don't start sleeping more than a few hours a night you're going to get sick and you need to be healthy if you're going to make it through this tour" She was starting to sound like a mom, which was a little scary, but really cute at the same time.

"You'll call me as soon as you wake up? Like as soon as you do, don't do anything else" He said seriously, arching both his eyebrows upward. He hated goodbyes. He never knew where to end the conversation because he didn't want to stop hearing her voice. A couple times when they've spoken on the phone he fell asleep to the sound of her talking and woke up to the dial tone ringing in his ear.

"Just go to bed" Clary giggled and Jace frowned. "I love you"

"I love you too" Clary smiled and her emerald eyes lit up, like they always did when she was happy. They stared at each other like that for a few more seconds before the screen went black and Jace was left alone in his hotel room again.

He hated being alone, that was probably why he would have a different girl in his hotel room every night on the last tour. Ever since his parents died there was a strange empty feeling festering inside of him that was never really filled. No matter how much the Lightwoods cared for him, it never went away. Not until Clary came along, but she wasn't here now.

Sliding the laptop off his lap he didn't even bother to move it from the bed before he snuggled down into the blankets cacooning himself in the comforter.

As soon as his head hit the pillow, his eyes drifted closed and he was pulled down into a deep, dark dreamless sleep.

**XXXXXX**

Clary was in the bathroom changing when she heard someone rustling around in Jace's bedroom, or...her bedroom, it was weird thinking of it like that.

Peeking her head around the corner slowly she breathed out a sigh of relief when she saw Izzy sitting on the bed watching whatever Clary had turned the TV onto. "Hey" She said as soon as Clary stepped out from behind the door.

"Hey, Simon didn't stay again?" Clary wondered curiously. "No he did, we were just going to watch a movie and wanted to know if you would like to join us" She smiled and slid off the bed gracefully.

Clary pushed her lips to one side and bit the inside of her cheek. "I think I'm just going to go to bed" She said resolutely, and Izzy furrowed her eyebrows together questioningly. "It's only like eight o'clock."

"And I've been moving around all day, my back hurts and my feet are swollen..." Clary sighed and threw back the comforter so she could crawl under it. "I'm just tired"

"Did you talk to Jace about the appointment?" Izzy asked leaning against the side of the bed, her arms snaked over her chest. Clary nodded and pulled the blanket over her legs. "Did you tell him?" She asked quirking up an eyebrow and Clary shook her head no.

"You ok?"

Clary sighed and leaned back against the headboard. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just-"

"Tired" Izzy finished for her and Clary nodded her head. Izzy didn't move, she just stared at Clary curiously. "Well, if you can't fall asleep or you change your mind we'll be in the living room." Izzy said trying out a smile and Clary forced one back, her eyes squinting awkwardly.

Izzy walked out of the room slowly and Clary held her breath until the door clicked behind her, and then exhaled, puffing out her cheeks. Seeing Isabelle and Simon together just mad her miss Jace more. She loved that they were getting to know each other, and that Simon was genuinely happy now, but she didn't want to have it shoved in her face.

She wanted to go to bed and wake up with Jace beside her, but that wasn't going to happen any time soon, so she should probably suck it up and deal with it, but right now she was going to mope in her room.

Grabbing the baby name book off her nightstand she turned the volume up on her phone so the music was loud enough to be heard without headphones. Wether Jace was in New York with her or not, these babies needed names and she didn't even know where to start. _Sophia?...Sophia is kind of a cute name_ She thought to herself and highlighted the name before flipping to the next page.

**XXXXXX**

As bad as if made him sound, Simon was kind of glad that Clary didn't want to come downstairs to watch movies with him and Isabelle. The two of them hadn't gotten alone time really since they proclaimed that they 'liked' each other the day Clary got back, and he was starting to get a bit desperate.

But when Izzy leaned over and kissed his neck, it took him completely but surprise. "Hey" He coughed looking over at her his eye wide.

"Hey" She chirped, smiling and Simon instinctively leaned in towards her. "I thought we were watching a movie?" He said in a whisper and Isabelle arched an eyebrow. "Would you rather watch the movie?" She asked pointedly and Simon laughed "God no."

And then he pressed his lips to hers softly, but one of her hands snuck around his neck and she pulled him harder against her. One of his hands was on her thigh, the other one on the small of her back. Her lips tasted like strawberry lipgloss, and it reminded Simon of the first time he found himself in this position with Izzy.

They had gone out with Magnus and Alec one night, to Pandemonium. The two boys left them to fend for themselves around midnight, and no body warned Simon that Izzy got extremely touchy after a certain amount of alcoholic beverages. Next thing he knew they were making out in the back of a taxi on the way to Jace's house, and sneaking in the back door so no one saw them together.

Especially Jace, Simon was intimidated by Alec, but Alec didn't hate him the way Jace does.

When Simon went to move his hand from her waist his fingers caught her shirt and skimmed the small space of exposed skin, making his heart rate quicken.

"I hate to interrupt but there is a Ms. Jocelyn Morgenstern here to see Clary" Hodge said from the doorway making the two of them jump apart.

Simon was silent for a second, waiting to see if he heard Hodge correctly. "Jocelyn?" He asked clearing his throat, Izzy's hands were still at the collar of his shirt.

"Says she is Clary's mother" Hodge clarified and Simon nodded.

"No, yeah, it's her mom but why is she here?" Simon asked furrowing his eye brows together.

"I did not find it fit to ask her Mr. Lewis, as she is not here to see me" Hodge said pointedly and Simon bit his tongue. "Um ok, let her in. I'll go get Clary" Simon stood up quickly brushing Isabelle's hands off of him.

So many things were running through his head about why Clary's mom could possibly be here.

Was her dad alright? Was Jonathon? Clary wouldn't be able to handle it if something happened to them, no matter how much she said she hated her brother they had some weird bond that Simon didn't understand.

He jogged up the steps taking two at a time and didn't knock when he got to Clary's room.

"Simon what are you-"

"Your mom is here" he said trying to steady his breath and Clary's face went blank. "Is my dad..."

"I don't think so, Hodge said it was just your mom"

Clary groaned and slowly slid off the bed.

Hodge was right, Jocelyn was here, standing right in the foyer when Clary and Simon finally descended the stairs.

"Mom? What happened? Are you ok? Is Jonathan? Did dad do something?" Clary asked worriedly as she stepped down from the final stair, Simon stayed back behind her, Izzy was in the doorway of the living room leaning against the arch, and he shot her a sympathetic smile.

"I'm fine Clarissa, can't a mother just come and visit her daughter?" Jocelyn said with a tight smile and Simon could see Clary physically cringe from hearing her full name, "Not at eight thirty at night, unannounced." She said through gritted teeth.

"Can we talk somewhere a little more private please?" Jocelyn said peering around the foyer.

Izzy was in the doorway of the living room, Simon was right behind her, Hodge was standing a few paces behind Jocelyn, and even Harriett had come out of the kitchen to see what was going on.

"I'll whip you up a fresh pot of coffee." Harriett said before disappearing around the corner. Clary turned to her mom "What is going on mom?" She muttered but Jocelyn brushed her off, "A cup of coffee sounds absolutely delicious right now, after the night I've had, I need a little caffeine in me." She joked, but Clary didn't laugh, she didn't even smile.

She just turned on her heel and headed towards the kitchen silently. Something wasn't right, and Simon didn't like the feeling of it but before he could follow Izzy stepped in front of him and shook her head. "I need to go in there and see if she is ok" Simon said pointing at Clary and Jocelyn's retreating figures.

"She is an adult Simon she can take care of herself." Izzy said moving so she was blocking out the kitchen from Simon's view. "But-"

"No" Izzy interrupted. "We are going to watch that movie and if Clary needs our help we will be right there waiting for her." Simon sighed and Izzy pointed towards the living room waiting for him to turn to face it. "Are we going to watch the movie, or _watch the movie_" He said waggling his eyebrows.

"Oh no lover boy, you had your chance" Izzy scoffed and Simon frowned. "No fair, it isn't my fault we got interrupted." He whined and Izzy shrugged. "Not my problem" She retorted with a smirk walking ahead of Simon. And he was sure she was adding a slight swing in her hips just to get him riled up, and needless to say it totally was working.

But just for a second he looked back over his shoulder towards the kitchen. He could just see the side of Jocelyn's body, seated at the island and Clary pacing back and forth in front of her. He wanted so badly to go in there and help her, but Izzy was right, she needed to figure this out on her own.

"Hey, I'm going to press play whether you're sitting down or not" Izzy called from the couch and Simon shook the thoughts out of his head.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch I'm coming, jeez woman you're so demanding" He teased plopping down beside her.

He stretched out his arm so it rested on the back of the couch, almost touching Izzy's shoulders, and softly rested her head on his shoulder. "I can't believe you're making me watch this" Simon grumbled and Izzy giggled. "It isn't that bad"

"It's a children's movie" Simon said with a chuckle. "_The Lorax_ is an awesome movie, with a good plot line and great morals." Izzy defended poking Simon in the stomach. "You made me watch that Spock movie." She grumbled and Simon chuckled.

"You really need to work on your movie title knowledge" He teased but Izzy 'shushed' him as the movie started to play.

His arm fell from the top of the couch and draped around Izzy's body, and she snuggled closer to him, drawing her knees up closer to her chest.

As much as he had been trying to play it off like he wanted them to move slowly, Simon couldn't help but think that he could get used to this.

* * *

_Not sure how I feel about this one. I tried out Simon's POV there at the end as you can see, and it wasn't my strongest moment but I still liked the challenge. _

_WHOA I got so much feedback on my last chapter I want to thank you guys SO MUCH! So many of you voted for your favorite names and I am sorry for those who wanted two boys or two girls, I'd thought for a while that I wanted a mix and the amount of votes that got mixed names just confirmed it for me. _

_But the names have NOT been chosen yet. I have however narrowed it down to three in each list PLUS two bonus names that were suggested for me so I thought I would ask you guys what you thought._

_I've decided that at the end of each chapter (or until I finally pick the names) I'm going to have you guys vote on something different...today it's just going to be which name out of the girls column you like best. _

_**Only choose one please (:  
**_

_Emma_

_Sophia_

_Avery_

**_BONUS SUGGESTION:_**

_Olivia_**_  
_**

_P.S The chapters MIGHT get shorter but that is only because I'm going to be updating more frequently _

_I have a problem where I get ahead of myself when I'm writing, I'll be at work or at home thinking about the story and I'll write like two chapters in my head and then get lost trying to put it all down on my computer, anyone else have that problem?_

_Anyway next update will be Sunday! _

_Hope you all enjoy this chapter and are excited for the next!_


	20. Feeling like Family

Harriet set down a cup of tea in front of Clary and Jocelyn made a face "Tea? No coffee?" She asked arching an eyebrow and Harriett made a 'tsk' noise with her tongue. "Harriett says it's healthier." Clary shrugged and Jocelyn nodded slowly, smiling when Harriet handed her a mug.

"I haven't been able to get you to stop drinking coffee since you were thirteen" Jocelyn laughed sarcastically and Clary pursed her lips together. "Must not have tried hard enough" She shrugged sipping the warm liquid, trying to hold back a cringe as the bitter taste washed over her tongue and down her throat, Harriet slipped out of the kitchen and Clary straightened her back. Jocelyn had only been here for ten minutes and Clary was already annoyed.

"Clarissa-"

"Why are you here mom?" Clary snapped, folding her hands in front of her on the island. "Because the last time you were here, you were insulting me, and my boyfriend, _and_ my children."

"That was your father, Clarissa I-"

"You sure as hell did nothing to stop him" Clary spat angrily,

"Wait did you say children?" Jocelyn asked furrowing her eyebrows.

"You just sat there, and let him say those horrible things to me, _about me_, and you said nothing" Clary growled ignoring what her mother asked as she continued to talk over her. "and then Jonathan had the nerve-"

"Clarissa!"

"Quit calling me that!" Clary yelled waving her hand through air, knocking her tea over. The liquid splashed all down the front of her, and the mug fell to the ground in a crash. "Shit" She muttered running a hand through her disheveled hair. "I got it, I'm fine" She said, holding a hand up to stop her mother before she could stand up to help.

"I left your father" Jocelyn said quietly and Clary's head snapped upward, so she was looking at her mother dead on.

She had to admit her and her mother shared a striking resemblance. The same firey colored hair, but Jocelyn's was more tame, and the same freckles and emerald eyes, but her mother's features always seemed more prominent than Clary thought her features did. Jocelyn was even almost a foot taller than Clary.

She narrowed her eyes, unsure if she heard her mother correctly.

"We got into a fight and he-well you know how he gets."

Clary clenched her jaw shut, and swallowed hard. "Where is Jonathan?"

"With your father I assume" Jocelyn shrugged and got up from her seat. Clary pinched the bridge of her nose between her pointer finger and thumb. A wave of relief washed over her, no one was hurt, well, not physically anyway.

"Clary..." Jocelyn said hesitantly as she slowly walked around the marble counter top. "Why did you say child_ren_?"

_Shit._ Clary cursed at herself. It was a dumb slip up, she hadn't had to hide it for so long that she forgot not everyone knew she was having twins, and she hadn't talked to her parents since the picnic so there was no way that they would know anything.

"Are you having more than one baby?" Jocelyn asked curiously, she was standing almost directly in front of Clary, but Clary turned away from her, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth.

All she had to do was nod, she didn't even have to say anything so why was it so hard to tell her mom? Was it because she was afraid of the crushingly disappointed look that was going to flash through her mother's eyes, or that she would react the same way her dad did and call Clary out right then and there?

"Yeah" She said curtly, looking down at the broken mug on the ground. "Yeah I am."

"Clary I'm so sorry that you had to go through this on your own" Jocelyn said placing a hand on Clary's shoulder but Clary stepped away. "I'm not alone, I have Jace and Simon, and Izzy, and sometimes Jace's mom comes down to help me out." Clary shrugged stepping over the mug to grab a dish towel.

"But..._I_ wasn't there." Jocelyn said trying to hide the obvious hurt from the sting Clary had sent her way. "And when have you _ever_ been there for me?" Clary asked sharply turning on her heel and glowering at her mother. "You sat back silently, while dad controlled my entire life, who I was friends with, who I could date, where I went to school. You did _nothing, _you just turned your cheek and pretended not to see anything."

"That's why I left him." Jocelyn said pleadingly taking a step toward her, but Clary stepped backward. "A few years too late don't you think?" Clary scoffed narrowing her eyes, trying to ignore the almost, in-tears look on her mom's face.

"I was so scared when I first found out," Clary continued. "And I couldn't even tell you, _my own mother_, because I knew that you would tell him. And then at the picnic, I _needed_ you. I needed you to comfort me and you stayed with him, silent of course, because God forbid you have a thought of your own." Clary could feel her throat start to burn as she clenched and unclenched her fists.

"I am so sorry Clary" Jocelyn said taking a couple more steps toward her, and this time Clary didn't move. So many emotions were running through her body. She was angry at her mom for casting her into the shadows for so long, but happy she finally left her dad, and then angry again because it took her nineteen years to realize how evil he was, and sad because Jonathan actually sided with him.

But while she was angry with her mom she was also nervous and scared about the babies, and sad because Jace was gone, and that her mom had to find out she was having twins because of a slip of the tongue. She was pissed off, there was no doubt in her mind, but there comes a time in every girl's life where she just needed her mom to hug her and tell it was all going to be ok, and right now that is what Clary needed. She wasn't going to admit it though, because she was trying to stay strong.

"You have every right to be mad at me" Jocelyn said with a sigh, now standing almost directly away from Clary. "But I'm going to be right here for you from now on, whether you like it or not, I'm not going to let you go through this alone." Jocelyn reached out and tucked a few pieces of hair behind Clary's ear, and pulled her closer to press her lips to her forehead.

The tears came before Clary could blink back to stop them, and she wiped one away with the back of her hand. "I'm really scared mom" Clary croaked and Jocelyn pulled her into a tight hug wrapping both arms around Clary, and Clary did the same.

Jocelyn rubbed small circles into Clary's back trying to console her but it was honestly no use. These tears were a long time coming. She hadn't cried for weeks, she'd been forcing it all back to try and appear to be strong and capable of under going all the stress that she was being put through but she was starting to break.

"It's all going to be ok" Jocelyn cooed when Clary let out a ragged sob, and even if she didn't truly know deep down whether her mom was right or not, she chose to believe it because it's all she had to hold onto right now.

**XXXXXX**

Jace felt like he was ready to pass out from exhaustion as him and the band were about to go on the air for a radio acoustic session. Clary had called him at four in the morning, and no matter how tired he was he was never going to be able to fall back asleep knowing that something was wrong.

_He thought it was his alarm going off, and he was prepared to hit snooze, but when he saw that Clary was calling him, his heart fell into his stomach. He fumbled around trying to grip his phone better before pressing answer and holding it his ear. "Are you ok?" He asked quickly, and it took a second for her to respond which only made him worry more. _

_"Yeah, I'm fine...God I'm sorry you were sleeping," She sniffled and Jace ran a hand over his face. "It's ok, you can call me whenever you want to." He said tiredly and Clary sniffled again, "When do you have to wake up? You can go back to sleep if you want I'll just call you tomorrow, or later I mean...I'm sorry."_

_"You're fine, don't apologize, what did you need?" Jace asked holding the phone away from his face so he could see the time, he was supposed to be up in an hour and a half. "It's really not important..." She said with a sigh and Jace rubbed his finger tips against his eyes. _

_"Clary" He groaned. "You already woke me up, just tell me." He was trying not to get annoyed with her but he was running on less than four hours of sleep and felt like he was hit by a semi truck. _

_"My mom showed up here today..." Her voice trailed off and Jace shifted uncomfortably. "Was your brother with her?" He asked trying not to sound so bitter about it, but his child-like instincts took over. _

_"No, it was just her. She uh...she came to tell me that she left my father." Clary cleared her throat and Jace blew out a deep breath, puffing out his cheeks and running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry" he said quietly._

_"I'm not" Clary scoffed and Jace furrowed his eyebrows together, well then why was she crying? "I let it slip that I was having twins. My mom didn't know, because she barely knows anything about me anymore." Ah, Jace thought to himself, now we're getting somewhere. _

_"I felt like she didn't care about me, because she was never really there when I needed her, so when she showed up today I wanted to yell at her and throw her out, because now she needed me and I was just supposed to drop everything and run to her open armed? She sat back and allowed my dad to control my every move for years. I should _hate_ her, but she is my mom and-" Another sniffle came from Clary's end and she paused for a few seconds. "I'm sorry, you probably don't care" _

_"Of course I care" Jace scoffed, "If you are upset I am going to care, no matter what it's about. I understand that you are conflicted about how you feel with your mom, but I think it will be good to have her around right now. You need as many people to surround yourself with as you can get. Positive energy and all that shit" Jace said with a chuckle and he thought he heard a small laugh come from Clary's end. _

_"I just need you" She said with a sigh and Jace closed his eyes momentarily. "Seven more weeks" He chirped trying to sound happy about it but it wasn't very convincing. Clary was silent for a little bit and Jace rolled onto his side. "What are you thinking about?" He asked with a yawn. _

_"Have you thought of any baby names that you like?" Clary asked shyly and Jace's eyes widened in surprise. That came out of no where and he wasn't exactly prepared to answer her. "I uh...not really.." He said truthfully and heard Clary sigh. "Have you?" He asked curiously._

_"A few...but nothing that really stands out to me"_

_"Well what are they?" Jace asked. "I can't tell you, that would give away the secret" Clary said with a laugh and Jace smiled, "I don't think I can wait seven more weeks" He grumbled pressing his face into his pillow. "Looks like you're going to have too" Clary giggled. _

They talked, for the entire hour and a half Jace had left before he had to leave, about Clary's parents more, and Jace tried his hardest to get Clary to fess up and tell him the genders, but she wasn't going to budge. It felt nice in the moment, but right now, in the radio center Jace was regretting it a little bit.

They played the acoustic versions of their song '_Stranger', 'Say You Like Me',_ and_ 'Skyway Avenue'_ and then afterward the small crowd in the radio center got to ask a few questions.

This was the part Jace dreaded the most. Giving teenage girls free range with their questions was not a good idea, not when they were probably pissed off that he was actually settling down with someone right now. Everything seemed to be going fine, until someone brought up Clary.

"Where is Clary?" A girl with thick rimmed glasses asked from the back and a wave of mummers followed. "She is at home" Jace said with a nod hoping to get off the topic as quickly as possible. "Do you know what the baby is yet?" Another girl with dark eyeshadow and bright red lips asked and Jace shook his head. "She knows, but...she is keeping it a secret until I get back" Jace shrugged, and there was a compilation of gags and "awe's" in the crowd.

"Is _Goodbye_ about your ex-girlfriend Aline Penhowllow?" Another hipster looking girl from the front row asked and Jace bit the inside of his cheek. He didn't like answering these questions because it made him feel exposed. Like people could see right though him. So he did what he normally did when faced with these questions.

"There are songs about almost everyone I know on this album, so that is just something you all will have to infer on your own" He shrugged, and smirked, that seemed to light a fire under some of them.

"Is it weird that you have a song about your ex-girlfriend and your current girlfriend on the same album?"

"Uh, no," He said simply with a one shoulder shrug. "The two songs are from two completely different times in my life, both emotionally and periodically."

Thankfully the radio host cut them off after that question and Jace played one more song, before he was ushered out of the center and into his SUV. Thank God that was the last thing he had to do all day before the concert because he was only running on fumes.

September 8th:

8:37 a.m.  
**"Probably won't be able to talk before the concert, I need a nap." - J**

**XXXXXX**

"What about the color green? You could do a jungle theme or something. That is gender neutral right?" Simon suggested as they sat in the living room flipping through Parenting magazines and paint swatches.

"That is so over done" Clary shook her head, and bit the inside of her cheek, flipping a page in the magazine with a defeated sigh. "Well, every time I say something you just shoot it down so I'm just going to help Alec with your room." He grumbled and Magnus let out a sigh.

"Finally, I thought he'd never leave, I swear straight boys always think they know what's best when it comes to fashion and design." Clary couldn't help but giggle. "What about this?" He asked holding up a bright yellow paint card.

"Too bright" Clary said shaking her head. "I don't want my children to go blind every time the sun hits their walls" She teased and Magnus rolled his eyes. "This would be so much easier if they were both girls" He grumbled and Clary laughed. "I'm sorry, that is something I had no control over. Talk to Jace."

"I was thinking..." Izzy said from the love seat. She was laying down, her legs brought up almost to her chest, a magazine resting against her thighs. "Why don't you just do two separate rooms?"

"Because there are no other rooms to work with right now?" Clary said quirking an eyebrow, Izzy knew that, Jace's parents, Alec, Max and her all had their own rooms, there was no other ones vacant.

"I know" She shrugged and Clary's forehead creased in question. "I figured you could just take my room. The two rooms are right across the hall from one another, and it would be easier to pick colors and all that"

"Iz I can't ask you to just leave your room? Where would you sleep? Plus you were here before me and-"

"You are going to be here after me. You and Jace aren't going to want his entire family living with you for the rest of your lives. I'll just sleep in Max's room or something, he can take the fold out couch in the basement." She repositioned herself so she was looking directly at Clary. "And when they are older they aren't going to want to share a room, so might as well separate them now" She shrugged and laughed a little.

"Well this changes everything" Magnus said cheerily flipping vigorously through the stack of magazines he had brought over with him. "I have to show you this one room that I absolutely love" He was still going on and on about the room while he was trying to find it. And Clary just nodded and smiled even though her mind was else where, Magnus didn't seem to notice.

Every time she thought about having the twins it scared her. Thinking about what they were going to be like when they were older, or what they were going to look and act like. But through the wave of worry that always passed over her, was a new found feeling of excitement, it was starting to feel so real.

Izzy settled back into the couch slowly flipping through the magazine she had in her lap and Clary smiled to herself. She never really had a family that cared about her, and her well being, but now that was starting to change too.


	21. Here's How It All Started

"What do you think of Olivia?" Jocelyn asked setting down her paintbrush and Clary shrugged. "It's cute" she muttered sweeping more paint onto her roller and facing the wall again.

They had been working on cleaning out Isabelle and Clary's rooms for the past week and a half and now it was Clary's favorite part, painting.

Since Jocelyn was trying to win Clary back over she offered to help too. And Clary hesitated on accepting the offer but Jace told her she should stop pushing her mom away because in the end it was only hurting Clary.

"Have you and Jace talked about names?" Jocelyn was trying to sound happy but Clary could tell it was forced. The only time her mom had really met Jace was when he was being peeled off of Jonathan at the picnic so she didn't really have very high expectations for him.

"He doesn't know what they are yet" Clary said. "Talking about names with him would just give it away"

"Your father didn't want to know what you and Jonathan were either." The air got thicker at the mention of Valentine. Jace and her dad were nothing alike, and Clary felt like her mom was trying to compare the two of them. "Jace doesn't want to know yet because he doesn't want me to tell him over the phone. He wants it to be in person so it's special." Clary said pointedly, pressing the roller harder against the wall as she moved it up and down.

"That's sweet" Jocelyn said wiping her hands against her thighs, residue from the paint brush coming off on her jeans. "Yeah" Clary mumbled.

Jocelyn didn't say anything after that, and Clary heard her start to paint again. Neither of them brought up the night that Jocelyn first came to visit, and as far as Clary knew she was staying at a friends house in the city. She had come over almost everyday for the past week and a half but it was still weird to Clary that her mom was trying so hard to be in her life after nineteen years of no attempt.

The first nursery was almost done, the largest wall in the room was painted with large black and white vertical stripes and the remaining three were a dark, hot pink color. It was pretty simple but versatile for when she got older.

_She._

It felt so weird thinking of it like that, but Clary loved it.

As her mind was wondering a sharp pain shot up her right side and she set down the roller and kneaded her fingers against the problem area. Groaning as the pain ebbed into a deep throb Jocelyn whirled around to look at her. "Are you alright?" She asked worriedly and Clary waved a hand through the air and nodded. "It usually goes away after a few minutes" She said closing her eyes and pushing out a deep breath.

"Why don't you take a break and just go lay down for a little bit?" Jocelyn suggested and Clary didn't really feel up to arguing with her. "I'm just about finished with this wall, so I'll go down and make you some tea" Jocelyn smiled and Clary nodded resolutely, biting back a wince as the pain pinched at her side again.

She shuffled down the hallway to her and Jace's room and slowly lowered herself onto the bed with a heavy sigh. Unplugging her phone from the charger she figured the time in her head, it was one thirty in the afternoon, and Jace was in Nottingham England, which was five hours ahead of New York, so he might be busy but she was going to try anyway, because they hadn't spoken to each other in almost two days.

He has been busy and Clary has been tired and sleeping a lot, they've been playing phone tag for the past few days, and they haven't been able to Skype since Jace left Ireland. She held the phone to her ear and stood up, pacing back and forth as it rang in her ear.

"How did you know I was thinking about you?" Jace answered on almost the last ring and Clary's heart could've have burst in her chest, and she couldn't help but smile. "The babies must sense it cause they sure are putting me through hell right now" She laughed pressing her fingers into her side again.

"You alright?" He asked with no amusement in his voice and Clary giggled. "Yeah I'm fine, just another pregnancy perk" She shrugged and continued to pace around the room, not having a real destination in mind.

"Well what's wrong?"

"Just a little cramp in my side, it's nothing" Clary said waving her hand through the air, and looking down at her feet as she placed one foot in front of the other. "Make sure you tell Dr. Branwell that at your appointment though, it could be something serious. Your next one is Friday right?" Clary smiled and rolled her eyes, it was cute how worried he was.

"Yes, I will tell her on Friday" Clary droned, stopping in front of the mirror. Her stomach was getting bigger, but she wasn't as big as she felt. She felt like a house, like she should have to wear an 'oversized load' sign on her when she was in public. But in all reality her stomach was pretty average sized according to the baby book.

"Sorry we haven't been able to talk the past couple of days" Jace sighed and Clary shrugged. "You're busy" That was what she always said, because it was true but Jace always groaned when she said it.

"I shouldn't be too busy to talk to you. You're more important than my job" He grumbled and Clary scoffed. "Not when you are the only one working and we have two kids on the way" She joked and Jace chuckled. "Is your mom still trying to make amends?" He asked.

"Yeah, she is here right now actually, helping with one of the-the nursery. She is helping me with _the_ nursery." Clary corrected quickly pursing her lips together. She didn't want Jace to know that she was now using Izzy's room for a second nursery because that would make him ask questions and she was no good under pressure.

"Hmm" Jace hummed. "What color?" He asked and Clary could hear the smile on his face. "Not telling" Clary sang back and Jace grumbled under his breath. "Five and a half weeks" Clary sighed.

"How are you and the guys?" Clary asked after they fell silent for a few moments. "Fine, tired, and a little on edge with each other already...but that is to be expected" Jace chuckled.

"You and Sebastian?"

"We are fine Clary, how many times do I have to tell you?" He groaned and Clary rolled her eyes, "Ok" She muttered, leaning back against the dresser so she couldn't see herself anymore.

"So I know that I don't know what you're having, and this might be like...really stupid but..." He paused for a few seconds and Clary furrowed her eyebrows together. "Forget it, it's stupid" He muttered.

"What?" Clary asked resting her free arm on her stomach and tucking her hand under her armpit.

"Nothing"

"Babe just tell me" Clary chuckled and Jace, once again fell silent. "I like the name Liam..." He finally said and Clary smiled, trying to hold back a laugh. "Mmm" She hummed nodding her head slowly. "Why is that?" She asked.

"Me and the guys were watching that _Taken_ movie on the bus last night and I just thought...Liam Neeson is such a badass dude, like if I had a son Liam would be such a badass name and...I told you it was stupid. Nevermind" Jace grumbled.

"It isn't stupid"

"So does that mean you're having boy?" Jace chirped up, and shook her head "Nice try" She giggled and he sighed defeatedly.

Voices picked up in the background and Clary could hear Jace shuffle the phone around."Alright, I'll be there in a second." He muttered and Clary figured it was the guys. "Ok" Jace grumbled and Clary bit down on her lip, he obviously had to get off the phone now but Clary didn't want to let him go.

"You have to go?" Clary said with a sigh. "Yeah, we have a meet and greet before soundcheck" He said clearing his throat. "Ok" Clary said slowly pushing her lips to the side and dropping her arm from her stomach. "I'll call you or...at least text you after the show." He said trying to sound happy about it but Clary knew he felt the same way she did.

"Yeah, ok, well have fun, don't kiss anyone." She teased trying to lighten the mood and Jace chuckled. "Alright, I'll try to resist the thirteen year old sobbing girls as best I can" He joked back and Clary cringed. "Do I even need to point out how creepy you just made yourself sound?"

"No, I regretted saying it as soon as it left my mouth." Jace said matter-of-factly with a chuckle and Clary laughed. "Ok I love you."

"I love you too" He sighed, and that was it. Clary's phone beeped letting her know the line was disconnected. Closing her eyes she wiped a hand across her face let it linger there for a few seconds until she heard a knock at the door.

"Can I come in?" Jocelyn asked holding a mug in one hand, and Clary nodded pushing away from the dresser and walking back towards the bed. "Harriett already had some made so I just warmed it up for you" Jocelyn said waiting for Clary to sit down before handing the glass to her. "Thanks" Clary muttered taking a sip.

"Was that Jace?" Jocelyn asked curiously and Clary shot her an incredulous look. "You were listening?"

"No I was not listening, I just heard you talking on the phone when I came up the steps and I only caught the end." Jocelyn rolled her eyes and Clary held back a smile, they acted like sisters half the time and they could never have a conversation for longer than twenty minutes without one of them getting annoyed.

"_Do_ you love him?" She asked sitting beside Clary, the mattress dipping from the weight of her body. Clary pursed her lips together and nodded. "I just don't want you to think because he is the father of your children that you have to be with him." She continued and Clary rolled her eyes.

"We weren't together at first" Clary pointed out. "Being together was a decision me and Jace both made because...well I don't know why. We just fit together I guess." She shrugged and gulped down another swig of the bitter liquid. Not only did Harriett want Clary drinking tea, but she wasn't allowed to add any cream or sugar to it, which was just horrible.

"You never really told me how you two met" Jocelyn said cautiously, looking at Clary from the corner of her eye and Clary eyed her suspiciously. "Do you really want to know?" She asked quirking an eyebrow upward.

"I feel like it's important..." Jocelyn nodded as her sentence trailed off.

"Alright but you can't get mad it me, or Jace, about anything. It's already done and in the past and I know I'm stupid and naive and careless, and everything else you could possibly preach to me, so if I tell you, you cannot judge me like a mom" Clary warned.

"Ok I promise" Jocelyn said holding her hands up in defense. Clary scooted backward and repositioned herself so she was more comfortable, placing the tea on her nightstand. After clearing her throat Clary twisted her hands together and crossed her legs.

"Ok so it was the night of my nineteenth birthday..."

* * *

_Hey guys! So sorry it's so short, but I promised that I would update more frequently and thought you all deserved a little something for being so patient with me. _

_Time is going to start moving a little faster now and more drama and bumps in the road will occur so watch out for the next update._

_Now it is time to pick which boys name is your favorite! _

_Noah_

_Nicholas_

_Liam _

_**BONUS SUGGESTION**_

_Hayden_

_P.S if I mention a name in the chapter it doesn't not mean that is going to be the final name, I am just throwing them out there to tease you guys because I am evil like that. _

_Hopefully I can update again tomorrow! _


	22. What Goes Around

"You need to come home soon. I am dying here" Clary grumbled as soon as she answered her Skype call and Jace chuckled. "Hello to you too" He joked and Clary's face softened. "Hey" She smiled but it didn't last long.

"So what is going on? Why are you dying?" Jace asked quirking an eyebrow and Clary's shoulders slumped.

"Izzy is on some weird health kick and no one in the house will let me eat what I want to eat. Do you know how long it's been since I've had chocolate? I'm not even allowed to drink chocolate milk. And if I even think about getting fast food..." Clary shuddered and shook her head. "They make me eat salad." She pouted and Jace laughed.

"Simon doesn't even help you out?" He asked and Clary pursed her lips together. "He doesn't want to piss of Izzy, but let's be honest, who does?" Clary huffed.

"Well I will be home in two weeks" He smiled and Clary sat up straighter.

"How is London?" She asked her eyes lighting up. Jace and Clary had a long conversation about traveling a few nights back and Clary told him that the number one place she's always wanted to go was London, so she was constantly asking him weird trivial facts about it since he got here two days ago.

"Very British" Jace chuckled and Clary rolled her eyes. "Are you going to do anything for your birthday?" She asked. His birthday was in four days and him and the guys had actually planned on going out that night but he didn't want to tell Clary because he wasn't sure how she would react to it, so he just shook his head.

"Probably just go to sleep" He shrugged. Clary nodded and looked like she wanted to say something but kept herself quiet instead. She probably didn't believe him, he wouldn't believe himself either if he was her. He didn't even know why he lied, he just did.

They talked for about an hour before Jace had to leave for a meet and greet, but before he left, Clary showed him a picture of one of the ultra sounds she had gotten a few days earlier. It made his stomach knot up uncomfortably, and his words got caught in his throat.

Everything was happening with Clary thousands of miles away from him, and sometimes he would forget, not for long, just for a few seconds when him and the guys were out, but he still felt bad about it. He didn't have to worry about all the things she did, like decorating the nursery, eating right, remembering doctors appointments, picking out names, and all of that technical stuff.

He had it pretty easy actually, for the past few months he was free of any stress, besides when he was late texting or calling Clary back.

So when he saw the black and white ultra sound photo his body was overrun with guilt.

They said goodbye and Clary ended the call first, while Jace stared at the blank computer screen for a few more moments before realizing neither of them said 'I Love You'. Running a tired hand over his face he shut the laptop and shoved it back into his suitcase.

For a couple weeks now, he has been feeling this way but he had just been pushing it all aside, thinking it will blow over. _What if it doesn't? _He thought to himself.

Two more weeks and he had all that responsibility back on him, and he didn't know if he was ready for that or not.

**XXXXXX**

The day of his birthday came pretty quickly. They had a show that night but the next day they were free so all the guys had decided that they would try and pull an all-nighter. He had talked to Clary earlier on the phone and she was pretty upset about not being able to celebrate with him, and he tried telling her he really didn't mind, but that didn't seem help either.

_"You don't _want_ to see me then?" She scoffed and Jace ran a hand through his hair, pulling at the ends. _

_"That isn't what I meant Clary and you know it." He grumbled and she heaved out a sigh. _

_"Whatever, have fun tonight" She said pointedly and Jace pressed his palm against his forehead. _

_"Clary..." He sighed but she had already hung up._

He was going to call her back but that would just make things worse and Jace really didn't want his birthday to be ruined, so that was the last time he'd talked to her. Now the guys were in the back of some Scottish club Jace didn't know the name of, the music pounding in his ears, and girls surrounding him and his band mates.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked to see if he had any messages but the screen was blank. Was Clary really that pissed off at him? He literally did nothing, or at least he didn't think so. Shaking away his thoughts he took a long gulp from the bottle in his hand and leaned back against the railing that cut off the rest of the club from the V.I.P section.

That was when he heard her voice. For a second he wasn't sure if it was just in his head or not, but when he turned to look over his shoulder there she was, walking up the small set of steps into the V.I.P section, arm-in-arm with Seelie.

_Aline._

Jace blinked a few times and stood up straighter, he hadn't seen her in almost five months, ever since him and Clary had gotten together, and now she was right in front of him, staring at him in fact. Jace tore his gaze away and pressed his lips against the bottle, leaning his head back to get a bigger gulp.

The two of them didn't leave off on such a good note, and right now was not the best time for them to find closure, not with all the unsure-ness in Jace's head.

Aline smiled softly and waved, and Jace saw Seelie smiling maliciously beside her. He couldn't act like he hadn't seen her, they had made eye contact, so he waved back, and found himself mid-hug before he knew it. "Happy Birthday" She half-yelled in his ear over the music, before pulling away.

"Thanks" Jace muttered crossing his arms against his chest and leaning against the railing again, trying to pretend like his attention was focused else where.

That, however, did not last long because she was standing right beside him. He was very aware of the mere centimeters of space that was separating the two of them, but he didn't move from his spot.

Aline turned to look at Jace and said something but he couldn't quite make it out over the music. He drew his brows down and his forehead creased in question. "What?" He yelled motioning to his ear.

"You look good" She said leaning in closer to him, a playful smile on her lips. "You too" Jace said with a nod, and a smirk.

Finishing off the beer in his hand he wandered towards the bar to get another. It was going to be a long night, and the odds of his friends letting him skip out was zero to non. So he would just have to make sure he kept his distance from Aline, but he wasn't in the position to be making any promises.

**. . .**

A few hours passed and Jace downed a couple more drinks, he felt Aline's eyes on him the entire time. Clary still hadn't texted or called him and he was starting to feel really pissed, which was probably just the alcohol taking over.

Aline tried to yell something at him over the music but her words were drowned out by the bass drop in the techno song that was blasting through the speakers.

"What?" He asked and Aline shook her head. "Do you want to go somewhere more quiet? So we can talk?" She yelled into his ear, her hand brushing against his arm, which sent his mind into over-drive.

He wanted to say no, he should've said no, but for some reason he nodded yes, gulping down the last of his beer and setting down the empty bottle on the nearest table.

He ignored the look that Will shot him when Aline took his hand to lead him out the back entrance, and the look Seelie was giving him that just screamed triumph, and he followed her anyway.

The exit led to a dirty ally way, and Jace realized just how cold it was outside the second he stepped out of the club. "So..." He started, rubbing his hands against his arms to warm them up, how was she dressed that way and not showing any sign of being cold? She was wearing a tight black dress, red stilettos and her short, black hair was curled up around her face.

"So, how have you been?" She asked a smiling lighting up her face as she took a small sip from the clear bottle in her hand. "Great" Jace grumbled trying not to sound too sarcastic.

"I hear congratulations are in order.." She said arching both eyebrows and Jace looked at her questioningly. "Why?" He asked dumbly, her fake tanned skin looked so warm, he really just wanted to touch her. It had been so long since he actually got to touch someone of the opposite sex, so damn long.

"You got your girlfriend pregnant, don't you remember?" Aline joked taking another drink from her bottle.

_Shit._ Jace cursed in his head and pursed his lips together. "Uh, yeah. Thanks" He said biting down on his bottom lip. "Trouble in paradise?" She asked with a snicker and Jace glowered at her. "We're just a little on edge with each other right now, not that it's any of your business." He grumbled rolling his eyes.

"Sure it is, I care about you" Aline said with a wink.

Jace turned away from her, trying to shake the thoughts out of his head, but he could hear her heels clicking against the pavement behind him.

He felt her hand on his shoulder and his body stiffened.

"I miss you" She said softly, pressing her forehead between his shoulder blades, her arms wrapping around him from behind. Jace kept his hands at his sides, her finger tips were not warm, they blisteringly cold, just like the rest of his body.

"Probably should've thought about that before you broke up with me then" He sneered peeling her arms off of him as he took a step forward, turning around to face her. "It was a stupid mistake, everyone has their lapses in judgement." Aline shrugged and Jace tilted his head to the side, what was she implying?

"Seelie told me you'd be here, that's why I showed up. I _wanted_ to see you" There was a slight slur in her words, she was clearly buzzing and Jace could feel the alcohol swimming through his veins as well. "Why?" He asked, snaking his arms across his chest, quirking an eyebrow.

"I just told you." She scoffed. "I miss you."

Jace shook his head and ran a hand through his hair before securing around his chest again. "You are unbelievable" He grumbled.

"What, you don't miss me?" Aline asked smacking her glossed lips together. Jace swallowed hard, adverting his gaze from her lips back up to her eyes. She took a step closer to him so she could reach out and brush her fingers against his arm. "We were great together" She sighed and Jace shifted his weight from his left foot to his right.

"_Were_" He seethed and Aline shook her head. "We still can be" She said in almost a whisper, running her fingers up his arms until they circled around his bicep. And Jace instinctively dropped a hand to her waist. They were just centimeters apart, one quick movement and Jace could end up doing something he might regret.

_Might,_ being the operative word. Did he want this? Was fighting with Clary really a reason to sabotage everything they've worked towards. A little part of him wanted to find out.

Jace stared down at her, she was practically eye level with him, not like Clary who was at least a foot shorter.  
He used to like Aline's short, black hair but now all he could think about was Clary's fiery red curls that cascaded half way down her back.  
Aline's fake tanned skin used to seem so warm and inviting but now he found himself thinking about Clary's smooth milky complexion that was sprinkled with freckles.  
Clary's emerald eyes, _instead_ of Aline's almond shaped brown ones.  
Clary's soft spoken, shy personality, _instead_ of Aline's outgoing, overbearing one.  
Clary's heated touch against his skin_ instead_ of Aline's cool one.

_Clary._

What was he doing?

Aline had her lips pressed against the base of his throat, and she was moving upward towards his jaw.

He moved to pull away but Aline pulled him in by his t-shirt. His body stiffened when their lips connected, he could hear his heart beating in his ears, and his hands gripped her shoulders, pushing her away from him as quickly as he could, just as the back entrance door swung open violently.

He was still holding Aline an arms length away when Sebastian stepped into the ally way, his dark hair shining from the street lamp hanging above the door. "A little cold out here isn't it?" Sebastian said cooly leaning against the doorway. "Why don't you two come back inside, we were just about to sing to the birthday boy." His tone of voice sounded playful but the look on his face read a different expression.

Aline hesitated and Jace dropped his arms to his sides. She scoffed, and stomped toward Sebastian bumping shoulders with him before passing back into the club.

Jace ran both hands through his hair and pulled roughly at the ends. "What the hell am I going to do man" He asked desperately and Sebastian sighed. "You're going to go back to the hotel and go to sleep. You aren't going to tell your girlfriend that you kissed someone else because it didn't mean anything. Right?" Sebastian quirked an eyebrow upward and Jace wiped a hand across his mouth again.

"I almost wanted to Seb." He said in a barely audible whisper.

"No you didn't. You're just lonely. You love Clary, and you two are going to be parents. I've already yelled at Seelie for bringing her here. I'm sorry that she's such a bitch" Sebastian said with a half-hearted smile that Jace didn't return.

"It's not your fault"

"Of course it's not. You kissed Aline, that shit is on you, but you know now that you don't want her, and Clary doesn't need to know that you had second thoughts." Sebastian scoffed and Jace glowered at him. He felt like he was going to throw up. "Just go get some sleep." And with that, Sebastian was gone and the door slammed shut behind him.

He called Michael to come and get him, and while he was waiting he contemplated calling Clary, he felt like he needed to hear her voice but at the same time if he heard it, he might break down and tell her everything, so he settled for just staring at a picture of her, that he had from before they went their separate ways in L.A.

She had yelled at him to delete it because she'd just woken up, but he needed a picture I.D of her for his phone and he thought she looked beautiful so he lied and kept it instead.

Pressing call he held the phone to his ear and blew out a sigh of relief when her voicemail picked up.

"Hey babe, I was just calling to tell you that I love you. I love you so much, and I can't wait to come home and see you. I miss you." He paused and inhaled sharply, clearing his throat. "Just call me when you wake up, or text me...whatever you want to do." Michael's car pulled up in front of the bar and Jace bit down on his lip. "I love you" He repeated before ending the call and shoving his phone back in his pocket.

Saying that Jace felt like shit was an understatement. He felt like the scum of the Earth, and even if Clary didn't know what happened he was going to make it up to her a hundred times over, because that is what she deserved, and he wanted to shoot himself in the foot for not realizing it thirty minutes sooner.

* * *

_**Uh-oh. Jace did something very naughty. But at least he feels bad right? **_

_**Do you hate him now?**_

_**I know that a lot of you were probably expecting that, so I didn't really want to have him "cheat" on Clary but I'm happy with the way it turned out.**_

_**He is really confused because they've been separated for so long and he feels like he doesn't know what he is doing, or if he is going to be able to handle having children so he is frustrated and there for starts second guessing everything.**_

_**But we see in the end that he does in fact love Clary.**_

_**Will Clary find out? And what will happen if she does?**_

_**Hope you guys liked it!**_

_**This week I am so busy with packing all my stuff up for college so I'm sorry if they aren't that good, I am trying so hard to update as quickly as I can.**_

_**MORTAL INSTRUMENTS CITY OF BONES MOVIE COMES OUT TOMORROW! **_

_**I am going to die!**_


	23. Coming Home

Clary knew that she was being irrational when she hung up on Jace, and she had every intention of calling him back, or at least letting him know she was ok, but he never called or texted _either. _

She was worried because the last few times that they had spoken they didn't really mention the 'L' word, and Clary didn't want to be the first to say it if it wasn't going to be said back. Jace had stopped texting her in the middle of the night to tell her he loved her, and he stopped calling her so frequently, it was starting to scare Clary a little bit.

But when she woke up the day after his birthday and listened to his voicemail she couldn't stop smiling. She felt dumb for thinking that he'd changed his mind, he promised that he loved her before he left, she just had to hold onto that for a little bit longer.

A few days later a bouquet of roses was delivered to the house and it didn't take much of a guess for Clary to know who they were from.  
It was weird that Jace was acting so affectionate lately but maybe he just felt bad about them arguing so much? Either way Clary didn't mind one bit.

That was, until she was watching a marathon of Keeping Up With the Kardashians' on E!Network and a commercial aired for their news show at nine, where the reporter listed off multiple topics that would be talked about on the show.

"Is Lindsey going to rehab again? Who wore it better Taylor or Jennifer? Jace Herondale and ex-girlfriend Aline Pennhollow were seen getting cozy at the superstars 22nd birthday bash, is Clace on the rocks? Beyonce and Jay Z-"

Clary hit rewind and paused the TV on a picture of Jace and Aline in a club the night of his birthday. She knew he went out, she expected that much of him, but this..._this_ was a whole other story.

She couldn't help but feel a tinge of betrayal knot in her stomach. Why didn't he tell her that Aline was there? Is that why he lied and said he wasn't doing anything that night? Did something happen?

Turning off the TV she threw the remote off to the side and ran a hand over her face tiredly.

Was she over reacting? Jace wouldn't do that right? He loved her. He said so himself. And news reporters loved to mix up drama, Clary knew that much was true.

She shook the thoughts out of her head, and decided she wasn't going to say anything. She didn't want their reunion to be messed up by his _stupid, _beautiful, model ex-girlfriend, but every night that Jace would forget to call or not text her back, the thought would resurface, and it was starting to rip her apart.

**XXXXXX**

The plane ride home was unbearable for Jace. Everything and anyone seemed to annoy him, his entire body was on edge.

He was excited to see Clary, but he was nervous too.

They hadn't talked face to face since before his birthday, and he wasn't sure if she saw the pictures online yet or not. She never said anything to him. Jace found them the next day, but he didn't have to look far, they were all over the news shows and magazine headlines, luckily it was just a few shots of him and Aline talking in the bar.

That didn't change the fact that he felt guilty as hell. There was a war going on in his head, should he tell Clary or keep it a secret?

His mother and Isabelle both called him the day it aired on TV.

_"Jonathan Christopher Herondale, if you do not tell her I will be very disappointed in you. I thought I raised you better than that" Maryse scolded when Jace told her what had happened, after she saw the news story on TMZ. He wasn't going to tell his mom, but she was going to find out sooner or later, whether Izzy opened her fat mouth about it, or Clary somehow did find out. _

_"I'm sorry mom" Jace said pinching the bridge of his nose between his pointer finger and thumb. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to" She said coldly._

_Isabelle was a different story. Jace didn't expect the reaction he got out of her, if anything he expected her to reach through the phone and choke him out but she was the complete and polar opposite. _

_"You can't tell her" She said quickly and Jace sat up straighter on the couch. "What do you mean?" He asked roughly and Isabelle scoffed. "You cannot tell her Jace. She is too fragile right now, she is going to leave you if she finds out and you don't want that. I mean..you don't want that right?" Izzy inquired and Jace couldn't help but feel annoyed that she would even question it._

_"Of course I don't Isabelle!" He barked running a hand through his hair. _

_"You kissed someone else Jace...not even_ just_ someone else. _Aline._ Clary isn't going to see it from your side, all she is going to see is betrayal and dishonesty." Isabelle paused and Jace swallowed the lump in his throat. "So don't tell her." She finished softly._

_He didn't want her to leave him, but when she found out she surely would. _

_Sebastian never mentioned that night again, then again he didn't really look at Jace the same way either._

Everything was changing, but not in a good way. He wanted today to be about reuniting with Clary and soaking her into him before he had to leave again, but a part of him wasn't sure if he was ready to be confronted with the reality of his guilt.

**XXXXXX**

"I had a meeting with the Art Institute of New York this morning" Jocelyn said as she plopped down beside Clary, who was sitting cross-legged, on the couch, a cup of tea in both hands. Clary nodded and took a mug from her mom, holding it to her lips, testing the temperature before taking a small sip. "Did you get the job?" Clary asked clearing her throat.

Jocelyn applied for an art professor position a couple of months back. Clary found out that, that was the root of the argument that seemed to push her parents apart. Jocelyn wanted to pursue her art and Valentine wanted her to pursue her cooking in the kitchen, where he believed was the only place a women belonged.

"They have to do more paperwork, look at my background some more" Jocelyn shrugged. "But the outcome looks good" She said taking a slow sip from her cup as well. "That's great" Clary said with a tight smile. Art was always something that Clary felt she had in common with her mom. It was the only time Jocelyn really payed any attention to her.

"It's a great school" Jocelyn said with a sigh and Clary nodded.

"I bet" She said pursing her lips together.

"A lot of talented young artists go there to get their foot in the door" Jocelyn added and Clary quirked up an eyebrow.

"And they're accepting applications for students to enroll in the spring." Jocelyn pressed and Clary rolled her eyes.

"What are you trying to say mom?"

"I just think that you shouldn't give up on your talents" Jocelyn said innocently shrugged, taking another sip form her mug.

"I'm not giving up on my talents, I'm having twins. There is a world of difference between the two" Clary defended furrowing her brows together.

"Why can't you do both?" Jocelyn asked with a shrug.

"Who would raise my children?" Clary scoffed.

"Is Jace not going to be around?" Jocelyn said in a bitter tone and Clary bit down on her cheek, inhaling deeply before she spoke. "He is busy with work" Clary grumbled.

"And he can't take a small break so you can get an education, do something you love, and make money on your own?" Jocelyn asked snakily. "Hmmm, that sounds kind of familiar" Jocelyn said mockingly and Clary placed her mug down on the end table, a little harder than she anticipated.

"Don't you dare try and compare dad and Jace to one another. Jace is nothing like him!" Clary barked, and Jocelyn just stared back blankly. "You are my daughter Clarissa, and it is my job to make sure that you-"

"Stop!" Clary interjected, standing up. "Stop calling me Clarissa, and stop acting like you give a damn about me!" Jocelyn opened her mouth to speak but Clary held up her hand. "You left dad, good job, I could've told you to do that fifteen years ago, but don't come back into my life after nineteen years of neglect and start the 'i_t's my job to make sure you're ok' _bullshit."

"Language!" Jocelyn gasped setting down her mug as well.

"This is my house I can say whatever I want" Clary growled and Jocelyn laughed under her breath.

_Laughed?_ _Seriously?_ Clary gritted her teeth together and balled her hands into fists.

"This isn't your house Clary" Jocelyn seethed, wiping her hands on her thighs. "It's Jace's." She finished, cocking her head to the side. "I have kept my mouth shut the past few weeks because I love you, and I would like a second chance for us to be happy" Jocelyn said calmly as if none of Clary's words affected her. "But that boy is only going to hurt you."

"You don't know him mom" Clary defended crossing her arms against her chest.

"And you do?" Jocelyn as inquisitively, arching her eyebrows upward, "You've known him for what...roughly _five_ months? And he's been away for_ two_ of them...am I right?" Clary stayed silent, shifting her weight from one leg to the other.

"You claim to be in love with the boy, when you don't even know his real parents names, or what even happened to them." Now Jocelyn was just throwing information Clary told her in confidence, back in her face and it was just making Clary angrier.

"And that girl that he was seen with...are you just choosing to ignore that too?" Jocelyn asked coldly.

That was it, Clary snapped, she wasn't going to be spoken to like this. "Get out" She growled, glowering at her mother, but Jocelyn seemed unaffected, happy almost. "I'm only saying this because I love you Clary" She said with a resolute sigh.

"Just leave" Clary said in almost a whisper and Jocelyn shrugged, turning on her heel to exit the living room.

She didn't want anything to ruin Jace's homecoming, but now her mother's words were lodged into her head like a cockroach. No matter how hard Clary tried to squash the idea that Jace would leave her, the feeling always came back stronger than ever, with more evidence in tow.

**. . . . . . .**

A few hours had passed and Clary had fell asleep on the couch. For a while now she hadn't been able to sleep for more than four hours a night, either from feeling like her heart was being dipped in a vat of acid, restless legs, or when one of the babies decided to lodge its self into her ribcage and kick her so hard she thought that one was broken.

She didn't hear her phone ring, or the car door slam in the driveway. The only reason she woke up at all was Izzy shaking her shoulders vigorously.

Clary sat up alarmingly and breathed in sharply through her nose. "What? What happened?" She asked wiping her face with the back of her hand.

"Jace is home" Isabelle said excitedly and Clary dropped her hand into her lap. "Where is he?" She asked swinging her legs off the couch, her feet touching the soft carpet.

"The kitchen, he wanted to let you sleep, but I figured you would want to see him" Izzy was smiling and Clary forced a grin onto her face.

It's not like Izzy knew any better. She didn't know how Clary was feeling on the inside, or that her and her mother had just gotten into a fight over Jace, so there was no point in Clary getting mad at her.

"I'll be right out" Clary said with a sigh, leaning back into the couch to ready herself. Lately it took a lot out of her to move around, her stomach was getting bigger, her ankles were swollen and her back was killing her.

"Do you need help?" Isabelle asked arching an eyebrow but Clary shook her head, there was more than one reason as to why it was going to take Clary a while to get there. She was biding her time until she saw Jace because she wasn't sure how she was going to feel.

"Ok" Izzy said defeatedly with a shrug, turning on her heel to walk out of the living room.

How long had she been asleep? Clary checked her phone for the time, it was almost ten o'clock at night, she'd been sleeping for well over five hours, that had to be a new record. Apparently, Jace had called her twice, left her a few messages about him being on his way home, and her mom tried to call her. Clary rolled her eyes and set her phone back on the coffee table.

Breathing in deeply she closed her eyes getting ready to push herself up into a standing position when a smooth voice broke the silence behind her.

"Need some help?" He chuckled and Clary's head snapped around to look over her shoulder. Jace was leaning in the doorway, that stupid smirk on his face, arms snaked across his chest.

"Hey" was all Clary could muster up, and Jace pushed away from the doorway, covering the distance between them. "I told Izzy to let you sleep" He sighed and Clary shrugged, turning back around to face the blank screen of the television.

"How long have you been home?"

"Not long" He was in front of her now, holding his hand out in front of him for Clary to take.

She hesitated at first, but as soon as their hands connected all the confusion in her head was blocked out by the sound of her heart beating in her ears. Her mind might be second guessing their relationship but her body knew exactly what it wanted. It was like a switch was turned on inside of her, like a electricity was coursing through her veins.

"You've gotten so.._.big_" Jace chuckled wrapping his arms loosely around her waist. "Gee thanks" Clary grumbled shooting him a glare that only made his smile widen. "You know what I mean" He laughed and Clary held back an eye roll.

"How was your flight?" She asked, clearing her throat as Jace's fingers drew circles on the small of her back. "Fine" Jace said back with a shrug. "Long" He nodded and Clary nodded too in agreement. "Your mom said-"

"Clary" Jace interrupted, moving one hand from her waist, up to her cheek. "I haven't seen you in almost two months" His breath made the hair around her face stir, and she swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "I don't care what my mom said, and I don't want to talk about the flight here. I just want to kiss you"

Even though it was slightly dark in the living room Clary could still make out every feature on Jace's face, he had that self satisfied smile on his lips, the one that made Clary's heart melt. She sucked in a deep breath and tugged at his t-shirt with her fingers. "Then why don't you?" She asked biting down on her bottom lip.

Jace stared down at her for a second before he moved his hand to the back of Clary's neck and brought his lips down to hers.

Clary breathed in sharply through her nose, not expecting the wave of butterflies that erupted in her stomach, as one of Jace's fingers played in her hair, and his tongue methodically worked against hers.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, the two of them pressed together as closely as her belly would allow.

She missed this, being close to him, feeling him against her. It was different seeing someone's face on a video screen than in real life, now she could kiss him when she wanted, touch him, talk to him without a time limit, not have to worry about what she said for fear that his bandmates might hear her.

His lips tasted salty, or was that from the tears that were falling down her cheeks? Jace pulled away as soon as soon as she realized she was crying, and rubbed the pad of his thumb against her cheek. "Are you alright?" He asked furrowing his eyebrows together and Clary nodded, unraveling her arms from around his neck. "Yeah" She said clearing her throat "I just missed you"

Jace smiled and pressed his forehead against her's, his hands moved to her stomach, which in comparison seemed to look smaller now. "I missed you too," He whispered kissing her sweetly "All of you."

The butterflies in Clary's stomach went wild, and their lips met again, when Izzy came bounding into the living room. "Can we show him the babies room?" She asked excitedly and Jace groaned inwardly making Clary giggle to herself.

"Come on" Izzy grumbled. "You two will have all night to make out, I'm leaving soon and I want to see Jace's reaction" She whined as Clary and Jace slowly made there way out into the foyer. She was acting like a two year old, but Clary had to admit she felt the same way on the inside. She was super excited to see how Jace would react.

And for a minute she forgot all about the news story, and her mother, and the fact that Jace could be lying through his teeth right now.

But just for a minute.

**XXXXXX**

The walk up the stairs took a little while because Clary took the steps one at a time, and every time Jace laughed under his breath she would shoot him a glare that made the smile fall from this face. But when they finally got to the top step, Jace's heart started to race anxiously.

He had been waiting for weeks now to find out the genders of the baby, and although he was excited he wasn't prepared for how anxious he felt right now. Knowing the gender would solidify the entire thing. Not that Clary's bulbous stomach didn't do that already, but now they could start picking out names, getting baby clothes, preparing for _real_ babies.

The hallway seemed to stretch longer as they got closer to the room. And Izzy was going on and on about how excited she is, Jace slipping his hand over Clary's and smiled down at her, she smiled back but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Before he could say anything they were in front of the door.

His palms were sweating, and Clary must've noticed how his back straightened because she finally returned the gentle squeezing, and nudged him with her shoulder.

"Close your eyes" Izzy said in a sing songy voice and Jace rolled his eyes before closing them. He heard the door creak open and Clary led him into the room telling him when to stop. "Open" Izzy squeaked, and the second Jace opened his eyes, there was no questioning what the gender was.

Pink, meant a girl, unless Clary didn't believe in the stereotypical color wheel for genders, which Jace wouldn't mind either, but... _Pink. _

The smile on his face seemed to stretch wider and he instinctively wrapped his arms around Clary. "Girls..." He said, but it came out in more of a question. "Wait there's more!" Izzy blurted out and Clary shot her a look that made Jace furrows his eyebrows together.

"What?"

"Well I was thinking," Clary said slowly shooting Jace's sister a playful glare. "That when they grow up, they probably aren't going to want the same room right?" Jace nodded but honestly had no idea where she was going with this. "And Izzy's room was right next door, totally convenient if we were going to, I don't know, need two different rooms for the babies."

Clary was walking backwards towards the hall again, and pulling Jace by the hand with her, he could hear Izzy behind him. "Ok" Jace said slowly quirking an eyebrow.

"And your sister so graciously gave up her room for him"

Jace nodded-wait-_him_? Before he could question anything Clary pushed open Izzy's bedroom door...well what used to be Izzy's bedroom. The walls were striped different shades of blue. Jace dropped Clary's hand and rubbed his fingers against his mouth trying to think of something to say. His heart was pounding against his rib cage, and the words seemed to stop in his throat.

_A boy._

_And a girl. _

_Perfect._

"Well?" Izzy said impatiently, and Jace cleared his throat. "It's awesome" He breathed with a low chuckle and Clary giggled.

"Aw, are you gonna cry?" She teased and Jace swallowed the lump in his throat. "No, I'm not going to cry Clary." He said defensively.

"It's ok if you cry, no one is judging you. I think it's cute." She giggled and Jace rolled his eyes, smirking as he wrapped an arm around her. "I'm not going to cry. I'm just really happy" He sighed. "Seriously, you're having a boy _and_ a girl?" He asked and Clary nodded happily. "That's perfect" Jace said kissing Clary's nose gently.

"Ok, ew. I'm right here" Izzy gagged and Jace shot her an incredulous look. "No one asked you to be?" He glowered and she glared at him, hands on her hips. Clary giggled, which made Jace's heart skip a beat. "Fine" Izzy said dramatically. "I have a d-I have to be somewhere anyway" She said flicking her hair over her shoulder, turning on her heel and leaving.

"It's been so hard keeping that secret from you" Clary said with a sigh, and Jace had to the force the smile on his face to remain there as the acid-like guilt traveled up to his throat.

"So Liam would totally be in the top contenders for names right?" Jace said with a smirk and Clary rolled her eyes. "I'll think about it" She laughed, reaching up and pressing her lips to his softly.

That was the only thing was going to make him feel better about himself. To somehow show Clary before she found out, that he really did love her.

So he kissed her back urgently, passionately and without reserve. One of his hands was at the base of her neck, the other at her waist pulling her closer, closer, until there was no more room to move between them. Her fingers traced his jawline, and fell to the base of his neck before she pulled away breathlessly.

"We probably shouldn't get too carried away" She said with a nervous laugh and Jace ran his thumb over her dry cheek. "I love you" He said gently and Clary smiled that smile again, the one that didn't quite make it to her beautiful green eyes. "I love you too"

* * *

**Finally an update right?**

**Sorry if it isn't that good, I've been super busy with school and my life in general so I haven't had time to write. **

**It's kind of really hard to balance College work and writing this story, I have to prioritize and since I don't really get any benefit other than reading your AMAZING feed back on this story, it's always going to come in second against school, so I am sorry about that! **

**But here you guys go! **

**The next chapter will be a lot of...drama. For more than one couple might I add. *wink*wink***

**OH and if you haven't check out my short story 'The One Who Got Away' if I get enough feedback on it I might continue to write more, or at least write a part from Jace's POV. **

**Hope you all like it! **


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